Tag: book review

We made it to Friday! This week has seemed to never end. Actually, I feel like January has been the longest month ever! I saw this meme on Facebook and it’s the truth 😂

Well, it’s January 31st, and I read three books this month: A Woman is No Man, The Wives, and The Hate U Give. All pretty heavy/intense reads….especially compared to my lighter reading in December with a focus on holiday books.

A Woman is No Man

I will be shocked if this book isn’t one of my top 5 reads of 2020….and it’s the first book I read in 2020. #offtoagoodstart

Good Reads summary:

This debut novel by an Arab-American voice,takes us inside the lives of conservative Arab women living in America.

In Brooklyn, eighteen-year-old Deya is starting to meet with suitors. Though she doesn’t want to get married, her grandparents give her no choice. History is repeating itself: Deya’s mother, Isra, also had no choice when she left Palestine as a teenager to marry Adam. Though Deya was raised to believe her parents died in a car accident, a secret note from a mysterious, yet familiar-looking woman makes Deya question everything she was told about her past. As the narrative alternates between the lives of Deya and Isra, she begins to understand the dark, complex secrets behind her community.

My thoughts: This book caught my attention from the first page. The focus of the Arab culture and arranged marriages was so interesting to me. I loved the format of the book with chapters alternating Deya and her mother Isra. There were definitely some painful and gut-wrenching scenes to read, but I guess they were necessary to tell the full story. The twist in the plot with the note helped start putting together the pieces of the plot puzzle. This was a book I couldn’t put down even though it was definitely a heavy read.

The Wives

This book was a spur of the moment read. I follow Kristy Wicks on Instagram, and she mentioned her daughter had chosen a few books to start an online book discussion. So many people in the Facebook group for the book club were talking about how great the book was, so I actually bought it and downloaded it to my Kindle (I rarely buy books for my Kindle). I read the book in a few days.

Good Reads Summary:

New York Times bestselling author Tarryn Fisher delivers a pulse-pounding, fast-paced suspense novel that will leave you breathless. A thriller you won’t be able to put down!

Thursday’s husband, Seth, has two other wives. She’s never met them, and she doesn’t know anything about them. She agreed to this unusual arrangement because she’s so crazy about him.

But one day, she finds something. Something that tells a very different—and horrifying—story about the man she married.

What follows is one of the most twisted, shocking thrillers you’ll ever read.

My thoughts: It’s been awhile since I’ve read a good thriller/suspense book. The idea of the main character having multiple wives definitely hooked my interest from the start. The narrator is his second wife, Thursday, and I kind of just felt sorry for her. I kept thinking, “How does she have so much self-control as to not look up/find out more information about the other wives?” Well, it was only a matter of time! I enjoyed this book and it was suspenseful BUT the second half of the book didn’t sit right with me. Midway through the book there was a big shift…and after that, I wasn’t sure what to think about Thursday. Also, some of the plot from that point forward seemed rushed…including the ending. The book was good, and it was suspenseful, but I definitely liked the first half of the book way more than the second half.

Kristy and her daughter posted a book club discussion last week with a full summary (so…warning! if you click on the link below), their thoughts, and questions for their blog readers about the book.

The Hate U Give

I’m sure most everyone has heard of this book (or movie!). I may have been one of the last people to have read this book! I was prompted to read it because so many of my high schoolers have read it. It’s a young adult read that focuses on some hot topics and includes relevant and timely life examples.

Good Reads Summary:

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.

Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.

But what Starr does—or does not—say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.

My thoughts: This was a good read. I see why so many young adults/high school students would like the book. Unfortunately, I have students who live this life, who have seen things I will never see in my lifetime, and who have experienced these injustices first hand.

The book has classic elements for young adults like the characters, the setting, the language and the ongoing themes to hold the reader’s attention. This book definitely provides opportunity to spark conversation with not only young adults, but adults as well. I haven’t seen the movie, but my interest is definitely piqued after reading the book.

Those we my three January reads. I’m about halfway through with The Broken Girls, and it’s been a great read so far! I will share about it in February.

I hope you’ve had a great week.

Take care,

Jen

Instagram: @showmeandsweettea

Facebook Page: Show Me and Sweet Tea

It’s hard to believe that we are almost to Thanksgiving and wrapping up November. November and December are so hectic for most, so I tend to have less time to read, but I did read three books this month….and I’m almost finished with a fourth book, but I will save it for next month. In November, I read The Affair, The 13th Gift, and I finished reading The Residence which I’ve been reading off and on over the past couple of months.

The Affair

I read this book on my Kindle, and it was a quick read for me. The plot centers around, you guessed it, an affair. Kathy and Robert have been married for many years and while she raised the kids, he ran the business. Through the years, she suspects him of cheating, of which he’s denied. She does some investigating and finds out the truth. The book is also about other family relationships, growing as individuals and what that may mean for a relationship. I liked that the story was told from three points of view: the husband, the wife, and mistress. There are a few R rated scenes which isn’t surprising given the title and topic. The story did seem to kind of wrap up quickly for me…but as a reader, I also knew there must be more….hence the follow up, The Consequences, which I’ve already downloaded to my Kindle for future reading.

The 13th Gift: A True Story of a Christmas Miracle

I loved this book. Nothing gets you in the holiday spirit like random acts of kindness. In this true story, Joanne Huist Smith is struggling to find happiness and stay afloat after her husband’s death. She’s a full time working mom to three kids, and as the holiday season approaches, they are overcome with grief and wondering how they will get through the holiday while in their “new normal.” Then, twelve days before Christmas, gifts begin appearing on their doorstep each evening. As the days draw closer to Christmas, the family finds the spirit of the holiday and even come together to carry on traditions in the spirit of their lost loved one. This book was a quick read that just brings hope and restores faith in humanity!

The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House

This book is not necessarily something I would normally read, but I really loved it. I’m not one to read much about history, but the interviews and anecdotes woven through history made this book stand out to me. I did read this book over a couple of months…and not because I didn’t enjoy it. It was just easy for me to leave on my bedside table and read a bit at a time.

The Residence focuses on the service staff in the White House such as the butlers, maids, secretaries, and florists. The book provides the reader with insider information on the various Presidents and families who lived in the White House. I thought the traditions and relationships were interesting. For example, there was insight into the days following JFK’s assassination , how the family grieved, but also who the staff was there for them. Also, the protocol of moving one President out on Inauguration Day while moving the new President in was another great explanation. Also, the relationships between the staff and Presidential families as well as the formalities that come with living in the White House were all just very interesting. The reader learns about the Presidential eras of Johnson to Obama. While not usually a genre that I typically read, I’m glad that I took the time to read this book and learned quite a bit along the way.

Holiday Reads…

Last year, after reading one of Shay’s November blog posts, I decided to follow her suggestion and read holiday books in December. I’m doing the same thing this December, but thought I’d share my December list from last year.

In December of last year, I read:

• Christmas Camp
• Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe
• Christmas at Little Beach Street Bakery

I kicked off holiday reading this year with The 13th Gift and I’m almost finished with the first book in the Winter Street series….Winter Street.

Also on my list for December are:

• Winter Stroll (book 2 of 4 in the Winter Street series)
• One Day in December
• The Christmas Sisters
• The Christmas Room

It may be wishful thinking to get four books read this month, but I’m sure going to try!

I hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday! I will be back on Friday with a post about kindness. ‘Tis the season (to be stressed, to be tired, to be over-scheduled, but to hopefully also enjoy the holidays with family and friends)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Jen

Instagram: @showmeandsweettea

Facebook page: Show Me and Sweet Tea