tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87791774928478108182024-03-12T22:29:45.592-04:00The Caffeinated Readerbook banter of a coffee loverBetsy Lewis Gullyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08565809564571645094noreply@blogger.comBlogger158125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8779177492847810818.post-27881238019953020272022-08-03T15:12:00.000-04:002022-08-03T15:12:03.122-04:00All the Days<p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61465905-all-the-days" style="display: inline !important; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="All The Days" border="0" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1657963733l/61465905._SX98_.jpg" /></a></p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61465905-all-the-days">All The Days</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22536882.Elle_Jayce">Elle Jayce</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4893646307">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I chose this book based on the first page. Lara is choosing her song that represents the day, not a diary entry, but a song. I'm not a huge music person but I liked that concept so much I decided this was a book for me. Indeed, music does permeate the entire novel and at the end I found that there is a play list on Spotify. Bonus! <br /><br />Lara is a construction designer who has been through a trauma resulting in PTSD. She meets Theo, an actor who is ready to drop his bad-boy image. They tentatively start dating in her tiny little village where Theo is filming. Lara knows this will go no further after the film wraps and resolves to keep her emotions out of it. <br /><br />No spoilers but anyone can pretty much guess where this all leads to. I enjoyed the journey very much, occasionally humming the song of the minute. I haven’t ever had to deal with PTSD, but I felt the subject was written into the story in a very sensitive and appropriate way. I was viewing two characters who cared for each other and were about taking the time to really know the other. I definitely look forward to more from Elle Jayce.<br /><br />I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
<br /><br /><br />Betsy Lewis Gullyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08565809564571645094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8779177492847810818.post-44265322552320772572022-07-15T17:38:00.000-04:002022-07-15T17:38:28.195-04:00Party of Two<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgSDoxs1Cdoh6bkGWbcyCxEBPsVJnoAc7F13TgEYDElAwTKy5t1CDxwkaj5pJtGuzcUQYjPAoQ3Mjx9usUSV6zjaTk7Ukb-a5HuXA2Ze_7B4lAEGRslUkKf4s_GntW_g_Qt6s7vpdylOWoAowZUPE3UGTRYWCYuzz0mY8SgQ_8Cc0AjwLO0co6GLxa0Q/s5100/Party%20of%20two.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5100" data-original-width="3375" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgSDoxs1Cdoh6bkGWbcyCxEBPsVJnoAc7F13TgEYDElAwTKy5t1CDxwkaj5pJtGuzcUQYjPAoQ3Mjx9usUSV6zjaTk7Ukb-a5HuXA2Ze_7B4lAEGRslUkKf4s_GntW_g_Qt6s7vpdylOWoAowZUPE3UGTRYWCYuzz0mY8SgQ_8Cc0AjwLO0co6GLxa0Q/s320/Party%20of%20two.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><u>Party of Two</u><br />by <i>Jasmine Guillory</i> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">This rom-com involves Olivia Monroe, a lawyer who has just moved from New York to LA to start a new firm with a long time friend, and Max Powell, the junior senator from California. Of course Max is one of those gorgeous "most eligible bachelor" types.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">They meet innocently enough at a bar and flirt a bit and then go their separate ways. Olivia has no time in her busy schedule trying to build and market her new law firm, but thinks a quick fling with the man in the bar may have been fun. She later recognizes who he is when she sees him on a newscast. Max however is very intrigued by this 'mysterious' woman and can't get her off his mind. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Olivia attends an event which Max is speaking at. He soon learns more about who she is and what she does which of course intrigues him even more. He follows up this encounter with a cake or pie, which becomes a theme for them throughout the book. I recommend not reading this when you are hungry. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The book touches on some of the social issues we currently are dealing with and is one of the things I really liked about the story. Olivia and Max are both passionate about helping people through their respective jobs as well as hands-on. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Being a woman of color, Olivia thinks things through thoroughly before making decisions or commitments. Both her gender and her skin color could work against her if she missteps. She's known it all her life and behaves accordingly. Olivia has her doubts that this relationship could ever be more than a fling. Max on the other hand, has grown up a privileged white male. His actions and words are often spontaneous and not always thought through. While he would be comfortable 'rushing' into things, he's sometimes frustrated that Olivia is not. He does want to be with her in a very permanent way. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Besides the basic personality differences, working on opposite sides of the country is not easy on a relationship. They see each other only on the weekends and try hard to keep their dating a secret. 'Going Public' is not just showing up together one day, but takes a team of Max's staff to plan press releases and photographers. Fortunately, he has prepped Olivia for that day. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I enjoyed the story but I did feel like I wanted more drama. There is an incident and of course the big question is will they make it or won't they, but it felt somewhat anti-climatic to me. For that I am giving this book 3 of 5 shots. Of course if you know my rating system, that is still a good review. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlZU9VKTINyb23iqyjN2hKxUs-dQQ5Dscztr1tej1F6xTPP3_OqE-vvYSkMctBqV13qLcobjFqvmIZt7REb2__Kv4M8DZmnQTxrArYWmuNk0ej98XJ1F-Ki-5nUmEIP924kfTtMUa1g4BRw6gosSa8zWw4r7w9P5813pjjb1RgPeq2OSZ88YOmGh6mMQ/s3000/3%20shots%20of%205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="3000" height="64" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlZU9VKTINyb23iqyjN2hKxUs-dQQ5Dscztr1tej1F6xTPP3_OqE-vvYSkMctBqV13qLcobjFqvmIZt7REb2__Kv4M8DZmnQTxrArYWmuNk0ej98XJ1F-Ki-5nUmEIP924kfTtMUa1g4BRw6gosSa8zWw4r7w9P5813pjjb1RgPeq2OSZ88YOmGh6mMQ/s320/3%20shots%20of%205.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>SPOILER ALERT!!</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">This is where I recount the story for my own poor memory... proceed at your own risk</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Olivia has an incident in her past which she keeps secret. As a woman and a POC she feels it could make her be seen as less credible in her job. The incident is a high school break in when she was a teen. She has shared this incident with Max. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Max puts her on the spot during a town hall meeting by revealing this bit of her past. Although not done maliciously, she can't accept that it happened and leaves the meeting. She breaks off with Max saying that his-speak-on-spur-of-the-moment style and her think-it-through style just are not compatible. Max is crushed and responds by sending her favorite cakes until she tells him to stop. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It's Max's DC roommate, another junior senator and long time friend that helps Max see that he needs to fight and to start with an apology. As a result, Max sends a legal contract to Olivia, appealing to her thorough thinking side, with the seven things he will do to make the relationship work. She counters, with a similar contract including changes to his. Both contracts to be revisited every August. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Epilogue: A year later in August they are vacationing in Hawaii where he proposes to her - with champagne and a cake (of course!).</span></div><p><br /></p><p> </p>Betsy Lewis Gullyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08565809564571645094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8779177492847810818.post-87290462559525858852022-06-02T18:10:00.003-04:002022-06-02T18:10:30.961-04:00The Summer Place<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib-4yDRQWcSb4t2YwzJ6L3wWdk9-jeYGRJkAsLolyDdNivVqSgxto_eUgX2uhxduq25GjmhJNkP8my8SNi2rp1NG8dtMYL85vZy0ERJPIMToXMCjBP3TRABfeBEzCsdbJPqPrR3v6KEFKFOupHmKqtC8oKNz0P2cy190mZ2xKHPY7PDvMex1uiV_BBTw/s700/lf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="464" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib-4yDRQWcSb4t2YwzJ6L3wWdk9-jeYGRJkAsLolyDdNivVqSgxto_eUgX2uhxduq25GjmhJNkP8my8SNi2rp1NG8dtMYL85vZy0ERJPIMToXMCjBP3TRABfeBEzCsdbJPqPrR3v6KEFKFOupHmKqtC8oKNz0P2cy190mZ2xKHPY7PDvMex1uiV_BBTw/s320/lf.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><u>The Summer Place<br /></u>by <i>Jennifer Weiner</i></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I always enjoy Jennifer Weiner's books and this one didn't disappoint. It's the kind of book that I do keep going back to because I'm just that nosy and need to know what's going to happen. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Ms. Weiner introduces us to a family that is blended and has the usual issues. I think Sarah is the main, most followed character of the story. She has a twin brother, Sam, who is a single dad to his stepson. Sarah is married to Eli who is 10 years older than her and has a young daughter, Ruby, when they wed. Eli's ex is a woman who never wanted nor intended to be a mother. Eli has a "ne'er-do-well" brother. Sarah & Sam's parents are financially well off due to a couple of books Veronica, their mother, wrote prior to their birth. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The main event is going to be the wedding of Sarah's step daughter to her college boyfriend. It will take place at Sarah's parents' summer home. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I won't give away all the issues, but everyone has them and some may be unexpected. I will say that secrets abound in and about this extended family. As the secrets are revealed to the reader, I completely expected the story to end with a huge blowout at the wedding. But... I'm not going to say more than that, either it does or it doesn't...</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I really enjoyed the way the story was told, each character having a chapter devoted to his or her background and current life and JW braiding them all together revealing "just enough." To be honest, I though I had figured out the main issue early on, however, it wasn't held secret and so wasn't the <i>"A-ha! I got the spoiler!"</i> that I thought I had. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I did find that the characters were a bit more understanding in one particular instance than I could have imagined them to be. I wonder if I am alone in that thought. I may explain more in the spoilers. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">My rating of The Summer Place is 4 shots of 5. It was a fun book, easy to read and get through - perfect for the summer months!</span> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL5te48m0sOzLU2d_vfFAYr6jJ1IGpelaQObeER_4Mzd7-GhWnwZwS_PXlu8E88F9ZyHFsHGLaXevqhJknxyHwQDrc5VUgO137yERswC8IfaWbow8eEhmu7Khgvt8s8WM165bASHQv6mo_5fvTGTr12hSwTcsRdow6TpcMDBqgi3F-iJcmXhZ8KRZr5Q/s3000/4%20shots%20of%205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="3000" height="64" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL5te48m0sOzLU2d_vfFAYr6jJ1IGpelaQObeER_4Mzd7-GhWnwZwS_PXlu8E88F9ZyHFsHGLaXevqhJknxyHwQDrc5VUgO137yERswC8IfaWbow8eEhmu7Khgvt8s8WM165bASHQv6mo_5fvTGTr12hSwTcsRdow6TpcMDBqgi3F-iJcmXhZ8KRZr5Q/s320/4%20shots%20of%205.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>SPOILER ALERT!</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;">This is where I recount the story for my own poor memory. Proceed at your own risk! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Lets begin with all the secrets! <br />Eli, Sarah's husband, formerly married to Annette. When he was with Annette they were footloose and fancy free, traveling the world and working wherever they touched down. Annette wanted to live her life that way and had no interest in marriage. Then she got pregnant with Ruby. She eventually left both Eli & Ruby, becoming an absent parent rather than a neglectful one. Eli's secret is that he cheated on Annette and may have another child - who he believes is the boy Ruby is engaged to. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sarah, Eli's wife, still has a lingering love for her summer-before-college romance who promised to keep in touch but ended up ghosting her. During a troubling time in her marriage and right before the wedding she indulges herself with the former love who just happened to pop back into her life. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sam, Sarah's brother, is famously shut down at the six month mark of every relationship he's had. When at last he find a woman who loves him beyond the six months and they marry, she is killed in an auto accident and he is left with her son who's father has no interest in raising him. Sam is happy to be Connor's father. But, unrelated, he is soon questioning his own sexuality. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Veronica, Sarah & Sam's mother has a sister who thinks it's a great idea to send the adult twins 23 & Me DNA test kits. As a result of this it's revealed to the reader that Veronica had a years long affair with an editor in NYC at the time she was also preparing to marry the man who becomes the twins' father. She has never known for sure which man fathered the children. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Ruby realizes right before the wedding that she had expected or at least hoped that someone would call her out on not being ready for marriage. She flees with her bio mother the night before her wedding. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Gabe, Ruby's fiancé, hooks up with Sam at a gay bar that night. They haven't met prior to this point and don't realize who they are in relationship to each other. This is the part that I have a problem with after all is said and done. They start a long relationship and no one is bothered by the fact that Gabe & Ruby were almost married. I just don't think many families would be that accepting. I could be wrong... </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I'm sure there is more I haven't covered but this should be enough to help me recall the book should I need to. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And as an aside, yes, they live happily ever after. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p>Betsy Lewis Gullyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08565809564571645094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8779177492847810818.post-24016782550776292482022-05-31T17:13:00.002-04:002022-05-31T17:13:31.346-04:00The Sewing Machine <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5UDhpwP0Dbz-Oo_gtf_zCTfvk_yt08cl3uEGYVwq2NEl3i97P8kGCs6a5IAhxEnmaHFM71N8S6PHnJ1LS5kZL4nBZVOpvfwzN0It0-fqpqDQaNQXMbfY5x05JnAHDRduOC3X_FmnAz6wODuCLVUp_teAjzwLlK2WyrfuM8TYiPx92r9oKpjd4K48JJQ/s500/34826117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="314" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5UDhpwP0Dbz-Oo_gtf_zCTfvk_yt08cl3uEGYVwq2NEl3i97P8kGCs6a5IAhxEnmaHFM71N8S6PHnJ1LS5kZL4nBZVOpvfwzN0It0-fqpqDQaNQXMbfY5x05JnAHDRduOC3X_FmnAz6wODuCLVUp_teAjzwLlK2WyrfuM8TYiPx92r9oKpjd4K48JJQ/s320/34826117.jpg" width="201" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><u>The Sewing Machine</u><br />by <i>Natalie Fergie</i></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">So it's been a while since I have blogged about any of the books I've been reading. I don't really have a reason for letting this part of my reading experience slide, but I do have a reason for beginning it again. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">My memory is just not what I wish it was and the stories slip away from me almost as soon as I close the last page of a book. With that said, I will warn you that I will at times be sharing spoilers. But I hope to acknowledge their arrival with plenty of time and space for you to avoid them if you desire. The spoilers will be to help me remember what I've read, no harm intended. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The Sewing Machine is literally about a sewing machine, from the time it was constructed and the circumstances around that time, to it's place in the current world. We follow the people who've built it, used it and restored it throughout the book but never quite sure how they all come together. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">It's an interesting story and it skips from past to present and back again and then suddenly, a new character pops in. I have to say that threw me off a tad bit. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The stories of the characters are good but not so good that I was constantly pulled back to the book. In fact, the main reason I finished the book is to discover what thread (pun intended) was going to eventually connected them. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I'm giving this a 3 shot rating. It was "okay" but I don't know if I'd read it knowing it wasn't going to move me much. On the other hand, I don't feel like I wasted my time, either. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3sQMXQfbVizpx0S-JMrREKE-_nugT84uCkOahR6bDhCTphBp-GYAx2Gi951Wmmg5laNkeui0tJMSCkAg-349IXXsio_3pfKj-CkMsSw7M0nj66pKUtQqviHUGWKCLL0rszJt6KG7KHmelHaFUsZyP6Tynx7js5YpjLUuewGwSNbK2jhNVxzUhWNFD5Q/s3000/3%20shots%20of%205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="3000" height="64" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3sQMXQfbVizpx0S-JMrREKE-_nugT84uCkOahR6bDhCTphBp-GYAx2Gi951Wmmg5laNkeui0tJMSCkAg-349IXXsio_3pfKj-CkMsSw7M0nj66pKUtQqviHUGWKCLL0rszJt6KG7KHmelHaFUsZyP6Tynx7js5YpjLUuewGwSNbK2jhNVxzUhWNFD5Q/s320/3%20shots%20of%205.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">SPOILER ALERT</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The sewing machine created in this story was at a singer factory late 1800's early 1900's. The workers tried to go on strike which failed and caused many to lose their jobs. The woman who tested this machine hid a note in a bobbin before she & her fiance left the community to find new work. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">That machine was eventually purchased by a couple, the woman used it to supplement their income. They kept detailed records of everything made on the machine. At a later time they take in a young pregnant woman who has been disowned by her family and they become her family. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In the 2000's the child of that unmarried woman returns to his grandparents home to settle the estate. He doesn't know that the people he thought were his grandparents are actually not. He discovers the notebooks full of details about the items sewn on the machine and becomes fascinated with it and begins to use the machine. This leads him to become friends with a woman who make jewelry from old sewing machine parts. The book ends when they discover it was this woman's great grandmother who left a note hidden in the machine, which had been saved with the sewing records all those years by the man's grandparents. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p>Betsy Lewis Gullyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08565809564571645094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8779177492847810818.post-4295788679562652872020-04-11T16:52:00.000-04:002020-04-12T01:04:27.443-04:00Summer Darlings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n_u1PJ7Q0lM/XpIrfKk8FfI/AAAAAAAAgV8/dSFu5Ms3jJQI0QoHTdGosCxp6Ml9R__rwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Summer%2BDarlings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="290" data-original-width="192" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n_u1PJ7Q0lM/XpIrfKk8FfI/AAAAAAAAgV8/dSFu5Ms3jJQI0QoHTdGosCxp6Ml9R__rwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Summer%2BDarlings.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
Summer Darlings<br />
by Brooke Lea Foster<br />
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1962. Summer on Martha's Vineyard.<br />
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Heddy is a girl working as a summer nanny for a wealthy family in Martha's Vineyard. She is a college scholarship student at Wellesly who was raised by a single mother barely scraping by. Heddy is a very naive girl, embarrassed by her background, needing and wanting validation from the people she believes are so much more than she is.<br />
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She arrives in Martha's Vineyard starry eyed, ready to step into a world of beautiful people living idyllic lives. What she discovers is the ugly underbelly of this picture perfect world, starting with the very family she is a nanny for.<br />
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Heddy falls for two men on the island, Sullivan, the son of a wealthy family, and Ash, a land developer selling homes in his new development in Florida. She is also befriended by Gigi, a movie star who takes her under her wing and tries to gently educate her as to what she is up against.<br />
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Eventually, Heddy begins to realize she can absolutely trust no one but herself. As insecure and unimportant as she believes she is, she nevertheless is a pawn to be used or disparaged by those around her. As the reader/observer I wanted to stand and cheer for her at the point she arrives at knowing that only she can take care of herself and does just that.<br />
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A happy ending? Maybe so, maybe no. I think you should decide for yourself when you read this novel. I can see the possibility of a sequel. I would definitely read it should it happen.<br />
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Summer Darlings gets 4 of 5 shots from me.<br />
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Thank you Netgalley for providing an ARC of this book for my reading pleasure & review.Betsy Lewis Gullyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08565809564571645094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8779177492847810818.post-12521324185074905742020-04-02T15:02:00.001-04:002020-04-11T17:04:56.793-04:00When I Was You<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<u>When I Was You</u><br />
<i>by Amber Garza</i><br />
<br />
I'd like to thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book prior to publication.<br />
<br />
The psychological thriller is very popular right now with the main character having had a breakdown of some sort and questioning his or her own sanity, or believing in their sanity but being questioned by others. This book falls into that specific genre. And I am okay with that!<br />
<br />
Kelly Medina is an empty-nester who's husband works in another city and only comes home on weekends. We are aware early on that she has experienced some sort of trauma, but the specifics are elusive. A misdirected phone call alerts her to the knowledge that there is another Kelly Medina in town, the mother of an infant. She becomes obsessed with finding out who this other Kelly is. Old Kelly arranges a 'chance meeting' with Young Kelly and inserts herself into Young Kelly's life.<br />
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The story is told in the first person, personal. Which is to say that more than just relating the story, we are privy to Old Kelly's inner dialog and thoughts as well. It's a little scary at times knowing/hearing what is going on in the mind of someone who might just be a little off kilter.<br />
<br />
Of course any good psychological thriller is going to provide some twists and turns and this is no exception. I found myself re-reading about five or six pages at one point just because the twist at that point was so subtle I was afraid I had missed something. You may or may not decide you know what the twist is early on, but never fear, even if you get it right, there is more to come.<br />
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I enjoyed Ms. Garza's style of writing and it makes the book fun to read. I give her a 4 of 5 shots and suggest you pick this one up when it's available.<br />
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<br />Betsy Lewis Gullyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08565809564571645094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8779177492847810818.post-53848774706294628202020-03-30T13:49:00.000-04:002020-04-01T00:05:34.377-04:00Anne Aletha<br />
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Anne Aletha </div>
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by Camille N Wright<o:p></o:p></div>
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Description: <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;">“Meet Anne Aletha, who
fought for equality for all … in 1918. Amid World War I, the Spanish Influenza,
and a re-emerging Ku Klux Klan, a young unconventional schoolteacher inherits
her uncle’s farm in the Deep South with the intentions of opening a school to
educate all children—rich or poor, black or white. Her ambitions and her
courage to challenge the systematic racial injustice she witnesses daily plunge
herself and those she loves into the violence of the Klan."</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;">I was expecting a lot more
depth from this story. Having read the description I guess I focused on the
promised KKK aspect and thought I’d read more about that, but it was a small
part of the story and basically consisted of Anne Aletha standing up and
walking out of church when the Klu Klux Klan was welcomed in by the minister. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Overall, I found the story
to be very superficial and I wasn’t very engaged with the heroine. She had high
ideals that were not developed enough to feel realistic for the era. The violence she experienced was not written about in such a way as to
make me tense and worry for her safety. I prefer a book that draws me in to the story. I did not feel that. </span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;">The most engaging section of the story
was the writing about the Spanish Influenza. This most likely hit home because
I can relate to it during the current Coronavirus pandemic. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;">If not for the unnecessary “love”
scenes, I would have thought this a book was written for a middle grade or perhaps
a high school reader of historical fiction. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%;">My score for Anne Aletha is
2 of 5 shots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Thank you, Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. </span>Betsy Lewis Gullyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08565809564571645094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8779177492847810818.post-53894926046238472552020-03-19T16:11:00.001-04:002020-03-19T16:29:18.946-04:00The Mortician's Daughter<br />
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<u>The Mortician’s Daughter</u><br />
by <i>Nan Higgins</i><br />
<br />
First off I need to say that I should pay closer attention to what genre of
book I am requesting from Netgalley. From it’s description I thought I was requesting
a detective mystery/ghost story. Looking at my Netgalley bookshelf just now I
realize I requested a LGBTQ+ Romance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
am certainly not opposed to reading same, but it’s not what I was
expecting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Ms. Higgins is apparently from my general neighborhood. I
love reading local authors and I have to say that when I start a book and
within the space of the first two paragraphs the main character is talking about
a birthday dinner at my favorite pizza restaurant (Dewey’s!) I know I’m going
to like it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Afterall, I just celebrated
MY birthday at Dewey’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you ever eat
there, you MUST have the Porky Fig Pizza. Seriously!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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So on with the story. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aria has just found out that she comes from a
family of “interpreters,” which is to say her father sees and talks to ghosts. In
fact he is the head of an “Agency” started by her great-great-grandfather to help
“priors” (aka dead people) wrap up their earthly responsibilities and cross
over. Aria has her life planned out and to discover she is an interpreter
completely disolves her future. She
begins her education as an interpreter where she meets Sloane, who becomes her
love interest. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her first interaction with
a ghost is an elderly Prior named Clara who insists Aria’s father is preventing
her from crossing over. Together Aria and Sloane must find out how this could
be possible and get Clara crossed over without dying themselves. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The book reads like a YA novel and I’m not completely sure
it’s not meant to be. It was a fun read, although I felt a little let down at
the end, like it was wrapped up a little too quickly and neatly after the build
up. I think with a little more mature writing this could turn into a really fun
series along the lines of the Stephanie Plum novels. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I’m giving the story 3.5 shots of 5. Based on not knowing if
it was meant to be a YA novel and for the weak ending. But I do recommend this book
and I hope that Higgins can evolve her characters into a series in which they have aged a bit. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would come
back to read more mystery stories involving these two women working the space between
life and death.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Thank you Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books, Inc. for allowing
me to read and review this ARC. Publication date April 14, 2020.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />Betsy Lewis Gullyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08565809564571645094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8779177492847810818.post-78335262606881362302020-03-15T22:32:00.000-04:002020-03-15T22:32:19.709-04:00Little Disasters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<u>Little Disasters</u><br />
by <i>Sarah Vaughan</i><br />
<br />
Liz is a pediatric doctor. Her friend, Jess, presents at the ER with her sick baby. Liz is called in to examine the baby and discovers serious injuries that suggest possible abuse.<br />
<br />
Liz has always looked at Jess as the perfect mother/wife/homemaker who makes it all look so easy. She couldn't have possibly hurt her own child, could she? Liz has to make the impossible decision to report the injuries to the authorities.<br />
<br />
This book deals with abuse, post natal depression, OCD, friendships, family relationships and the nightmare of being accused of hurting your own child.<br />
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After reading a 'meh' book immediately prior to this one, I was delighted to start a story that drew me in so quickly. With several flashbacks, the story is primarily told in the present, day by day as the infant Betsey recovers in the hospital, her family is questioned, and Jess is required to be supervised with her older children.<br />
<br />
The outcome of the investigation into Betsey's injuries is not entirely unexpected, which is to say... I saw it coming. But this is a book with a twist, and I have to say it's a satisfying twist. I love that although I predicted what was about to happen, Vaughan followed up with the unexpected.<br />
<br />
Little Disasters was provided for my reading pleasure by Netgalley in exchange for my review. I'm pleased to give it four shots, which is very good on my scale. Little Disasters will be published on August 18, 2020.<br />
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<br />Betsy Lewis Gullyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08565809564571645094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8779177492847810818.post-77422689456475201972020-03-08T19:35:00.001-04:002020-03-08T19:35:20.083-04:00The Thing About Alice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<u>The Thing About Alice</u><br />
by <i>Jean-Luke Swanepoel</i><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;">From the synopsis: <i>"Brimming with heart and gentle humor, and not wasting a single word, </i></span><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;">The Thing About Alice</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"> is a study in character no reader will easily forget."</span></i><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;">I guess a study in character is how I would describe this book, even though none of the characters is very deeply examined. I found it difficult to follow and </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;">confusing. To be honest, that could simply be due to my poor memory while trying to keep track of the characters and their relationship or relevance to Alice. But honestly, it was like sitting and listening to a friend recount all that has happened in her neighborhood, while not being overly interested in all these people I don't really know. Some of it is very sad and I feel empathetic, but li</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;">ke the empathy you might feel while watching a news story on TV. Just pour me another glass of wine, please. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;">And I may have become a bit concerned about my friend who is telling me these stories, especially when she comes to the end, telling one last anecdote which I suspect ends unpleasantly, yet I am not quite certain. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;">"The thing About Alice" left me wanting a real story but happy that it was over. I give it just 2 of 5 shots. I had really hoped to award it more. </span><br />
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Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to preview The Thing About Alice, to be published May 21, 2020.</div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif;"><br /></span>Betsy Lewis Gullyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08565809564571645094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8779177492847810818.post-80425357277654857502020-02-29T14:04:00.002-05:002020-02-29T14:04:52.759-05:00Love and Other Consolation Prizes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">Love and Other Consolation Prizes</span></u><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">by Jamie Ford</span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<i><b><span style="font-size: large;">"You deserve that more than anyone," she whispered as she hugged him again, clinging to him, and then letting him go. "I'm sorry, that's all I have to give."</span></b></i><br />
<i><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></i>
<i><b><span style="font-size: large;">A first kiss means everything.</span></b></i><br />
<i><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></i>
<span style="font-size: large;">This book was a joy to me in so many ways. The story centers around three children in Seattle in the early 1900's. Being from Seattle I loved this historical view of the city. Not to take away from the book, but I often found myself stopping to google something to determine if it was true or fictional. Delightfully, I found everything I looked up to be true and enjoyed my new knowledge of my home town. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The story starts in China where Yung Kun-ai, who is a mix of Chinese and Caucasian, is sent off to America by his ill and destitute mother for a 'better life.' He endures a horrific journey and eventually ends up in Seattle and becomes known as Ernest Young. Although a benefactor sends him to a private school he is painfully aware that he is a second class citizen. Wanting out of the situation, he becomes a 'prize' to be raffled off at the worlds fair. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Wait! The Seattle Worlds Fair opened in 1962. This is no longer historically accurate</i> - </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">or so I thought. </span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">History lesson: The Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition was a World's Fair that took place in the summer of 1909 on the grounds of the University of Washington in Seattle. My husband knew this (seriously?) but it blew me away. One of the attractions of this fair was the early invention of incubators that traveled from fair to fair and cradled living premature babies. I have previously read about that, and as awful as it sounds, it lead to the current science that helps us keep prematurely born infants alive. Another attraction of this fair is that they were raffling off a month old orphaned baby. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">True. </span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">This is where Jamie Ford's inspiration for his story came from. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">12 year old Ernest is raffled off, 'won' by Madam Flora who runs The Tenderloin, a house for gentlemen's entertainment. Although he becomes one of their servants, for </span><span style="font-size: large;">the first time in his life </span><span style="font-size: large;">he is well cared for. Here he meets the slight older Fahn and Maisie who become his fast friends. A gentle and tender love story develops in this unlikely setting of the salon. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The telling of the story is entirely through Ernest's eyes as we flash back and forth from his life and family at the time of the 1962 Worlds Fair to the 1909 AYP as he falls in love with both girls and what becomes of all of them. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Jamie Ford also wrote <u>Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet</u>, which I must now read. I give <u>Love and Other Consolation Prizes</u> four shots of five. But even as I write this I consider adding that fifth shot....</span><br />
<br />
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Betsy Lewis Gullyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08565809564571645094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8779177492847810818.post-43125995607150256182019-05-29T14:07:00.000-04:002019-05-29T14:08:22.171-04:00First Frost<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<u>First Frost</u><br />
<i>by Sarah Addison Allen</i><br />
<br />
I've loved SAA from the first time I read one of her books. I don't know why this one has gone unread for so long, it may be because I didn't buy it right away. I found it at an outlet mall a month or so ago and realized it was time. Past time. Way overdue!<br />
<br />
First Frost takes us back to Bascom, North Carolina and the people who we met in the book, <u>Garden Spells</u>. It's ten years later when we meet up with them again. Magic is still part of the every day lives of the Waverly women, which is much of what I love about Sarah's stories.<br />
<br />
Both Claire and Sydney are married to men that love them deeply, but that is not enough to quiet the niggly little fears that live inside their heads. Sydney's daughter Bay is coming of age, which is to say that no one on earth could possibly understand her less than her mother. Oh, my heart - been there done that! And just who is that mysteriously strange older gentleman who lurks nearby? In short, can the Waverly women learn that the people they can depend on the most have always been right there in front of them?<br />
<br />
This is not a book with a big suspenseful climax, nor huge mystery or big reveal. It's a book about feelings and the need and want to belong or know that you are in your right place. SAA works us through their stories and *spoiler alert* wraps it all up with a pretty bow. This is a feel good novel and I don't mind in the least that it works out well for everyone.<br />
<br />
That is not to say that the bow couldn't come loose or untied... I'm almost inspired to write some fan fiction starting with the next "Ten years later..."<br />
<br />
I give this book a five shots of five just because it's the perfect book to read on a stormy day like to today to lift me out of the gray sky doldrums.<br />
<br />
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<br />Betsy Lewis Gullyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08565809564571645094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8779177492847810818.post-45670530669326751472019-04-10T12:15:00.000-04:002019-04-10T12:15:43.882-04:00The Night Circus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Night Circus</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">by Erin Morgenstern</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<i><span style="font-size: large;">Disclosure: I should never read a review before I read the book or while I'm reading the book. It tends to influence my own view and subsequent review. Such is the case with The Night Circus. I'm <b>trying </b>to forget what I've read and keep this review my own.</span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The Night Circus originally didn't call to me but learning that it was high on the list of some of my friends I added it to my list as well. One of those friends sent me a copy which moved it to the top of my 'to read' list. </span><span style="font-size: large;">(Thank you, Victoria!)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The premise behind the story is that magic is real and only real magicians know that it's more than an illusion. Two ancient magicians challenge each other's talent by pitting their proteges against one another in an unnamed, unspecified duel. The winner is the survivor, the loser deceased. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The platform for the duel in this story is the Night Circus, an incredible traveling circus that arrives and departs without notice and is only open during the hours of darkness. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The book is full of wonderful characters set in the late 1800's early 1900's. The circus is not scary and foreboding as one might expect but delightful and very imaginative. I would truly love the Night Circus to come to my town!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I was drawn back to the story each time I had to put it down, which is something we really want in our books, right? But I found that when I got to the end of the story I was still looking for the great duel between the two proteges. It was clear that they had beat their mentors by both surviving, but for me the climax of the story was a little less than climatic. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Read this book for some great imaginative settings and the characters we are introduced to. But know you will be kept in the dark just as much as the two young magicians regarding their challenge. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I give this book 3 of 5 shots. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Betsy Lewis Gullyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08565809564571645094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8779177492847810818.post-76950440798560221672019-03-22T21:04:00.000-04:002019-03-22T21:04:56.883-04:00Nine Perfect Strangers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">Nine Perfect Strangers</span></u><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">by Liane Moriarty</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i>
<span style="font-size: large;">Liane Moriarty is one of my favorite authors. I'd been eagerly looking forward to starting this book. It did not disappoint. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Much of this story is a character study of nine different people at a health spa. An author, a lawyer, a family of three, a wealthy young couple, and so on. Their different stories unfold during their time at the spa while the spa "experience" becomes even more unusual. Nothing is what they expected or bargained for up to a point where their collective situation becomes unbearable. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">And I had to wonder all along, just who is this owner of the spa? Is she who/what she says she is? Is her desire to help sincere? Or is she someone very sinister? </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I give Nine Perfect Strangers four of five shots. </span><br />
<br />
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<br />Betsy Lewis Gullyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08565809564571645094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8779177492847810818.post-22245578772140850272019-03-22T20:25:00.000-04:002019-03-22T20:25:05.660-04:00A Separate Peace<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">A Separate Peace</span><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">by John Knowles</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i>
<span style="font-size: large;">I really wanted to love this book, or at the very least like it. It's been on my bucket list forever as a classic I wanted to, needed to read. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I was simply bored to tears. I could not find enough to make me care about the characters or their lives. Perhaps they just didn't come to life for me, I don't know. I was more than halfway through the book before I gave it up. And I <i>hate </i>giving up on books!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Before giving it up, I began flipping through 5-10 pages at a time to stop and read and hopefully find something that would make me want to keep going, something that said, "Keep reading - <i><b>this </b></i>is what you're waiting for!" </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Sadly, I never found it. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Just one of five shots. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<br />Betsy Lewis Gullyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08565809564571645094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8779177492847810818.post-85686517197145646822019-03-22T20:09:00.000-04:002019-03-22T20:09:10.367-04:00The Woman in the Window<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>The Woman in the Window</u> (Audio Version)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">by <i>A. J. Finn</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">As the title suggests this book in reminiscent of Hitchcock's Rear Window. A woman living alone with agoraphobia spends her days spying on her neighbors and counseling others online. Of course she witnesses a crime and tries to convince the authorities that what she saw was real, despite all the evidence against it. There are other factors at play here which include her tenant who rents out the lower portion of her house, her husband and daughter who have apparently moved away, and her online clients. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I found this story to be suspenseful and as with any suspenseful book, tried to work out what was "really" happening. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The narrator did a good job with this book but I think I would have enjoyed the<br />"climatic ending" more as a reader than a listener. It's one of the drawbacks of audio books in my opinion. Either I really connect with the narrator or I don't. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I liked this book. I give it three of five shots. </span><br />
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<br />Betsy Lewis Gullyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08565809564571645094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8779177492847810818.post-68457491044810321472019-02-14T19:21:00.007-05:002022-07-15T17:42:13.479-04:00Past ReviewsThis is simply the list of books by title that I have read and reviewed through this blog site. If you wish to see what I had to say, including any comments of my followers, just click on the book title.<br />
<br />
Books reviewed 2013 through 2016 are <a href="http://wordsandcaffeine.blogspot.com/2013/06/what-ive-already-read-reviewed.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">here</span></a>.<br />
Books reviewed prior to 2013 are <a href="http://wordsandcaffeine.blogspot.com/2010/01/what-ive-already-read-reviewed.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">here</span></a>.<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">"<a href="https://wordsandcaffeine.blogspot.com/2022/07/party-of-two.html" target="_blank">Party of Two</a>" </span>by <i>Jasmine Guillory</i> (July 1, 2022)</li><li><span style="font-size: large;">"<a href="https://wordsandcaffeine.blogspot.com/2022/06/the-summer-place.html" target="_blank">The Summer Place</a>" </span><span>by <i>Jennifer Weiner</i> (June 2, 2022)</span></li><li><span style="font-size: large;">"<a href="https://wordsandcaffeine.blogspot.com/2022/05/the-sewing-machine.html" target="_blank">The Sewing Machine</a>" </span><i>by Natalie Fergie</i> (May 31, 2022)</li><li><span style="font-size: large;">"<a href="https://wordsandcaffeine.blogspot.com/2020/03/the-morticians-daughter-by-nan-higgins.html" target="_blank">The Mortician's Daughter</a>" </span><span><i>by Nan Higgins</i> (March 19, 2020)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">"<a href="https://wordsandcaffeine.blogspot.com/2020/03/little-disasters.html" target="_blank">Little Disasters</a>" </span><span style="font-size: small;"><i>by Sarah Vaughan</i> (March 15, 2020)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">"<a href="https://wordsandcaffeine.blogspot.com/2020/03/the-thing-about-alice.html" target="_blank">The Thing About Alice</a>" </span><i>by Jean-Luke Swanepoel (March 8, 2020)</i></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;">"<a href="https://wordsandcaffeine.blogspot.com/2020/02/love-and-other-consolation-prizes.html" target="_blank">Love and Other Consolation Prizes</a>" </span><i>by Jamie Ford </i>(February 29, 2020)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">"<a href="https://wordsandcaffeine.blogspot.com/2019/05/first-frost-by-sarah-addison-allen-ive.html" target="_blank">First Frost</a>" </span><span style="font-size: small;"><i>by Sarah Addison Allen</i> (May 27, 2019)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">"<a href="https://wordsandcaffeine.blogspot.com/2019/04/the-night-circus.html" target="_blank">The Night Circus</a>" </span><span style="font-size: small;"><i>by Erin Morgenstern</i> (April 7, 2019)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">"<a href="https://wordsandcaffeine.blogspot.com/2019/03/nine-perfect-strangers.html" target="_blank">Nine Perfect Strangers</a>" </span><span style="font-size: small;"><i>by Liane Moriarty</i> (March 22, 2019)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">"<a href="https://wordsandcaffeine.blogspot.com/2019/03/a-separate-peace.html" target="_blank">A Separate Peace</a>" </span><span style="font-size: small;"><i>by John Knowles</i> (March 16, 2019)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">"<a href="https://wordsandcaffeine.blogspot.com/2019/03/the-woman-in-window.html" target="_blank">The Woman in the Window</a>" </span><i>by A.J. Finn</i> (March 5, 2019)</li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">"<a href="http://wordsandcaffeine.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-unseen-world-by-liz-moore-wow-i.html" target="_blank">The Unseen World</a>"</span> <i>by Liz Moore</i> (February 14, 2019)</li>
</ul>
Betsy Lewis Gullyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08565809564571645094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8779177492847810818.post-47656795556790929072019-02-14T19:07:00.000-05:002019-02-14T19:09:47.010-05:00The Unseen World<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<u>The Unseen World </u><br />
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by <i>Liz Moore</i></div>
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WOW! I can't believe it's been three years since I've written a book review. It's not like I haven't been reading.... I guess I just haven't been writing. I'm not going to try to fill in what I've missed, my memory is too bad for that. </div>
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Truth. </div>
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The Unseen World is a story that spans the life of Ada, a young girl, into adulthood and beyond. She is a child being raised in unconventional ways by a single father. There comes a time when her father begins experiencing early onset Alzheimer's and her young life begins to change. </div>
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Along with Ada's struggles to try to cure or control her father's Alzheimer's and then to fit into a world she doesn't feel she is a part of, we share her anger and hopelessness. And worse is discovering that her father isn't who she (or anyone else) believes he is. But that knowledge doesn't provide the answer to who he actually is.</div>
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We time jump between her present, her father's past and along into her future as she works out the puzzle of who her father is and ultimately who she is. </div>
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This story also includes the progress of our digital/electronic/cyber world from it's infancy to beyond what we know today. Although it is integral to the story it also upsets me in a way that the movie IA upset me. That artificial intelligence could take on human attributes and ultimately find itself alone. In some obscure way that disturbs me. </div>
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I listened to this book as a audio download from <a href="https://www.downpour.com/" target="_blank">Downpour</a>. I give it four of five shots. </div>
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Betsy Lewis Gullyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08565809564571645094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8779177492847810818.post-8396009437820695532016-01-06T23:07:00.000-05:002016-01-06T23:07:02.386-05:00Songs without Words<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">Songs Without Words</span></u><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">by <i>Ann Packer</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This book took me about six months, maybe longer to read. It's definitely not a "can't-put-it-down" book. But I did want to finish it so I can't say I hated it, either. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The story centers around two women who have been friends since childhood. Their adult lives are very different from each other, but they have remained friends. An event in one of their lives stresses the friendship to the point of breaking. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The story is more of a psychological portrait of the two women and their relationships. I kept waiting for the big bang to come but it never really did. Even the resolution of the story was captured within the last five (or less) pages and brought the book to a fizzle of an ending. Not my favorite read. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I give this book a two of five shots rating. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>Betsy Lewis Gullyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08565809564571645094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8779177492847810818.post-71249441260699640622015-11-10T23:49:00.000-05:002016-01-10T23:56:29.430-05:00Calling Me Home<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Calling Me Home</u></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">by <i>Julie Kibler</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">In Texas, an elderly Caucasian woman, Isabelle, asks her much younger African-American hair dresser to drive her to Cincinnati for a funeral. It appears to be a rather odd request but Dorrie agrees to take some time off and do it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">During their time on the road the story weaves through Isabelle's past and Dorrie's present. Isabelle grew up in Northern Kentucky just across the river from Cincinnati. She and a local black boy fell in love and planned to share their lives together. While Isabelle's story unfolds we also learn about Dorrie's life as a single mom and her issues learning to trust. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I was fascinated with the story of the "illicit" love in the early 1900's. While the black boy was so aware of all the horrible things that could only come of their love, Isabelle was so naive and could only imagine they'd have a wonderful life together no matter how far they had to run from the world to have it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">All throughout the trip to Cincinnati, Isabelle withholds who's funeral she is attending. From the stories Isabelle is telling it's easy to make a guess, but don't be surprised if it's not who you think. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I really enjoyed this story and give it 5 of 5 shots.</span><br />
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<br />Betsy Lewis Gullyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08565809564571645094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8779177492847810818.post-70315301430436303002015-06-15T23:33:00.000-04:002016-01-06T23:34:43.429-05:0011/22/63<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">11/22/63</span></u><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">by <i>Stephen King</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I listened to this story as an audio book on a cross country trip from Kentucky to Oregon. I have to say I absolutely loved it and the time flew by in the car. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">As the "King" of horror stories I was pleasantly surprised that this fantasy story wasn't full of horror. In truth is had a little bit of everything from fantasy to mystery to romance. I was happy to have so much time to listen because I did not want to "put it down." </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">*It's been a few months since I listened to the book so please forgive me for any vagueness here. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The "hero" of the story is told of a gap in time where he can return to the late 50's early 60's. No matter how long he is gone he will always return to the same time he steps through that gap. He is persuaded to return in time and save Kennedy, although it will mean spending several years in the past. The bulk of the story is about those years and when things go right and when things go wrong. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I was expecting a story all about how Kennedy was saved and what the world was like as a result. Instead the story is about the years our hero lives in the past marking time until the assassination. Then ultimately what the assassination means to him personally and what is most important. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">King tells an awesome story of time travel and the implications of time in years that flash by in micro seconds. This book is high on my must read list. So high that I am considering reading it now that I've listened to it. I hope you agree. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Any surprise that I give this five of five shots? </span><br />
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<br />Betsy Lewis Gullyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08565809564571645094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8779177492847810818.post-23033656481942987672015-03-27T21:47:00.000-04:002015-03-27T21:47:01.479-04:00Body Double<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">Body Double</span></u><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">by Tess Gerritsen</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I've been grabbing audio books to listen to in my car recently. I get rather addicted to them once I start. Maybe even to the point that I try to think of someplace I need to drive just so I can listen some more. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Body Double</u> is a Crime/Mystery/Thriller. Little did I know that it's one of the Rizzoli and Isles stories that the TV series is based on. I think I may have been expecting another thriller that would have been the basis for the 1984 movie with the same name, Body Double. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This book starts with a murder in which the victim is a spot on look-a-like for Dr. Isles. So much so that the investigative team is pretty shocked when she shows up wondering what is going on. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Dr. Isles discovers she had a twin sister. They were separated at birth and adopted by different sets of parents. (What a way to make such a discovery!) Since the victim is killed right outside Dr. Isles' home, the question becomes who is/was the real target? </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The twists and turns in this story and satisfying and unexpected. I give it 3 of 5 shots. I enjoyed the story a lot but it's not my usual genre. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>Betsy Lewis Gullyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08565809564571645094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8779177492847810818.post-76875399614670628622015-03-24T02:08:00.002-04:002015-03-24T02:08:47.685-04:00The Husband's Secret<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">The Husband's Secret</span></u><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">by Liane Moriarty</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Liane Moriarty is quickly rising to the top of my pool of favorite authors. <u>The Husband's Secret</u> is the third of her novels I've read and it looks like I have three more to go before I run out. I hope she can write faster than I can read. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Husband's Secret follows the lives of three women at different places in their lives. Cecilia is the busy mom who is involved in everything and does everything seemingly perfectly. Little does she know that her husband has a secret, until one day she stumbles upon an envelope addressed to her from her husband. The instructions on the envelope indicated it should only be opened upon his death. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Rachel is a secretary at the small Catholic school Cecilia's children attend. She is a widow who's daughter was murdered years earlier. When she's not working or caring for her grandson she is grieving for her daughter and searching for the proof she needs to have the 'boy' who murdered her put away. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Tess has just arrived in Sydney with her young son to stay with her mother. Her husband and cousin/best friend have just announced to her that they have fallen in love. She needs time to digest this news and decide what she must do. Unexpectedly meeting up with an old boyfriend seems to make the adjustment easier. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The husband's secret is not revealed until far into the book. It's a secret that could be devastating to their lives, and indeed creates a disastrous situation. I don't know what surprised me more; the secret or the results of the secret coming to light. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I easily give this story five of five shots. </span><br />
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<br />Betsy Lewis Gullyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08565809564571645094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8779177492847810818.post-56994900935034164512015-03-12T21:42:00.000-04:002015-03-18T21:57:19.944-04:00A Family Affair (Truth in Lies #1)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">A Family Affair (Truth in Lies #1)</span></u><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">by Mary Campisi </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I picked up this book from the Apple Store as a free book I could read on my phone. Probably 'free' because it's part of a four part series. I doubt I'll read parts two through four. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The story revolves around the heroine, Christine Blackstone, an ambitious young woman who works tirelessly to earn her place in her father's world of finance. Her father is killed in an auto accident while away on a monthly retreat at his cabin. Thus the scene is set for Christine to discover the woman and child her father spends four days a month with; his "other" family. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">She sets out to find who this other family is and what they meant to her father. She discovers that her father was not entirely the successful business oriented man she knew and adored, but rather a man who loved a simpler life with another woman and their daughter. She tries to make sense of this "new" side to the man she worshiped and reconcile it with the side of the father she knew. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">It was an entertaining read, easy and uncomplicated. I give it three of five stars. A book that I liked but will probably not remember in the future or rave over. </span><br />
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<br />Betsy Lewis Gullyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08565809564571645094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8779177492847810818.post-59765797985112753572015-02-20T17:11:00.000-05:002015-03-24T00:55:38.216-04:00The Light Between Oceans<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>The Light Between Oceans</u></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">by M.L. Stedman </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Set in Western Australia in the early 1900's, <u>The Light Between Oceans</u> actually deals with issues that still are with us today. The issue of child custody in which there are never really any winners.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Living on a remote rock of an island are the light house keeper, Tom, and his young wife, Isabel. They love their life together in this quiet remote place. Unfortunately, though, their efforts at starting their family fail as each pregnancy ends with a miscarriage or stillborn birth. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">One day, while tending to the graves of her lost children, Isabel can't believe she's hearing the cries of a baby. On the beach she discovers a boat has drifted ashore in which she finds the baby she heard crying along with a man who has died. The baby seems to be the answer to her prayers. There is no identification on the man or baby and no indication of what caused the man's death. Having recently suffered another miscarriage, no one from the mainland would ever suspect that this is not the child she had been carrying. She pleads with her husband not to report the incident of the boat drifting ashore with it's unusual cargo and allow her to keep and raise the child as their own. Tom is torn between the right and honest thing to do and his love for his wife and desire to end her pain. Ultimately he keeps quiet and destroys any evidence of the boat's arrival. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">In time they come to find out who the baby is and how she came to be in the boat with her father. But years have passed and the child is healthy and happy and a delight to both Tom and Isabel. They know the child's mother continues to mourn the loss of both her husband and child. Without answers as to what ever became of them, time has not been able to ease her suffering. Tom wants to assure her that her child is alive and well, but could lose his job and marriage by doing so. Eventually the truth comes out. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">What kept me interested and drawn to this story is the question of the right thing to do at this point. When a child only knows two people as his or her parents, do you rip the child away from loving people and place him/her with a stranger, even though the stranger is the real parent? I don't believe there is a right answer to that question. Did Tom and Isabel hurt the child by keeping her and loving her? Did they act ethically? </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I can't give away the story, but no matter which way it goes, there is not a winner. Similar stories appear in the news today regarding children of surrogacy or adoption where a natural or birth parent changes their mind. It's a very difficult issue and this story dealt with it well. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I give this book 4 of 5 shots. It dealt with a difficult subject and caused me to reflect on it well beyond the last page. However, I did have some trouble at the beginning of the book getting into the story. </span><br />
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<br />Betsy Lewis Gullyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08565809564571645094noreply@blogger.com2