tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87192661890332882812024-03-09T21:46:57.271-05:00Reading by the MoonlightAllie Brimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02431579155004073251noreply@blogger.comBlogger159125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8719266189033288281.post-12790593429635489022024-03-08T12:00:00.001-05:002024-03-08T12:00:00.137-05:00“Today We Go Home” by Kelli Estes<p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Title: <em>Today We Go Home</em> <br />Author: Kelli Estes <br />Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark <br />Year: 2019 <br />Genre(s): historical fiction, contemporary fiction <br />Part of a Series: No</span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Rating: </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5FIyvBgMdmfZ38qJm3IbTdmQvZvY3-ss-90BYHqX4HvWdgyx5y2kkBh_K0mnvTOwLjlxFkm8H8uQSkgEqiYBe7iM1lGPi85W6ELqGg_bTc7TLn-oPbak7BQbnG2CYjqdNZICI9rtqyspQV1oxmkJ9-6hooQ_-2lQgEwpL9zZrZcXQLjoeKycwUuknQIk/s610/four%20moons.png" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="153" data-original-width="610" height="50" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5FIyvBgMdmfZ38qJm3IbTdmQvZvY3-ss-90BYHqX4HvWdgyx5y2kkBh_K0mnvTOwLjlxFkm8H8uQSkgEqiYBe7iM1lGPi85W6ELqGg_bTc7TLn-oPbak7BQbnG2CYjqdNZICI9rtqyspQV1oxmkJ9-6hooQ_-2lQgEwpL9zZrZcXQLjoeKycwUuknQIk/w200-h50/four%20moons.png" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Why I read it: Once Upon a Book Club selection</span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Summary: Discharged from the army and suffering from PTSD after her last tour in Afghanistan, Larkin Bennett returns home and is teetering on the edge. The only thing keeping her from going over is a diary found amongst her late friend’s belongings about Emily Wilson, a woman who disguised herself as a man to fight in the Civil War. Though living in a different century, Larkin finds comfort in Emily’s story and realizes she isn’t alone. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf6KXXUuEm785y957nAA4bqpMemphCMuW4ro0OiwkVk4s1XpjyOGdnUpmM93jBEZR3yHmX8l5M1TsBkqIuF4GscYj6o_4kyQqfTQaIH4pDnNYIMFBjTfhkGY0ori3mGwGSxmBaOP0BrILkgmJP6UegMZwEEeqZGXPjD-UGAKZsX7Se4drrEnVQw3yMXSE/s400/Today%20We%20Go%20Home.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf6KXXUuEm785y957nAA4bqpMemphCMuW4ro0OiwkVk4s1XpjyOGdnUpmM93jBEZR3yHmX8l5M1TsBkqIuF4GscYj6o_4kyQqfTQaIH4pDnNYIMFBjTfhkGY0ori3mGwGSxmBaOP0BrILkgmJP6UegMZwEEeqZGXPjD-UGAKZsX7Se4drrEnVQw3yMXSE/s320/Today%20We%20Go%20Home.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Review: This book had some tough chapters to get through but overall, I enjoyed it. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">This time I did not mind the story jumping from the present day to the nineteenth century. I think it’s because Estes better weaved it into the story with Larkin reading Emily’s diary. It made the transitions feel smoother. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">It also helped that both Larkin and Emily were relatable and interesting characters that draw the reader into their stories. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Larkin’s story is a bit harder to read since it is about someone in a downward spiral regarding their mental health. But you can’t help but root for her to pull out of it and to get the help she needs. You want her to succeed. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Emily doesn’t feel too modern, which can be an issue with some historical fiction novels. She feels like a woman who is trapped by society’s expectations but is also just trying to stay with her family. She doesn’t join the army to make a point but to protect her brother and who finds some freedom in dressing as a man. I appreciated that. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">There were some subplots that felt unfinished but they didn’t take away from the overall plot. I still felt it was a good read. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Bottom line: A good book with some difficult topics. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Sex: Mentions but nothing graphic. </span></p><p><strong><u><span style="color: #a64d79;">Moonlight Musing</span></u></strong></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Do you know of any women who dressed as men to serve in a war? </span></p>Allie Brimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02431579155004073251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8719266189033288281.post-37240192809973719022024-02-23T12:00:00.002-05:002024-02-26T00:35:19.228-05:00“Between Earth and Sky” by Amanda Skenandore<p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Title: <em>Between Earth and Sky</em> <br />Author: Amanda Skenandore <br />Publisher: Kensington Books <br />Year: 2018 <br />Genre(s): historical fiction <br />Part of a Series: No</span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Rating: </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDEQzTBbwHODs4s7gdl9waKBwyRtwPYpti8p74RfWjUpeeLQDbBTt2EqkCyOXKZ9Mi5IK8757MM0gn0d18XaKsMZF6DpYV4e2JGyqh9HX_tiEh0UQrK8yPLW6bfj4Ru7SwqMUmY2cvuWmrDG6M8wtF0QA7nZFiDTENlsiA-XMq_MZ0mZpKMiNBZP02q5Y/s382/two%20and%20a%20half%20moons.png" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="153" data-original-width="382" height="80" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDEQzTBbwHODs4s7gdl9waKBwyRtwPYpti8p74RfWjUpeeLQDbBTt2EqkCyOXKZ9Mi5IK8757MM0gn0d18XaKsMZF6DpYV4e2JGyqh9HX_tiEh0UQrK8yPLW6bfj4Ru7SwqMUmY2cvuWmrDG6M8wtF0QA7nZFiDTENlsiA-XMq_MZ0mZpKMiNBZP02q5Y/w200-h80/two%20and%20a%20half%20moons.png" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Why I read it: Once Upon a Book Club pick</span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Summary: Alma Mitchell is surprised when the morning newspaper contains an article about a her childhood friend and that he is suspected of murdering a federal agent. She convinces her husband to go from Philadelphia to Wisconsin to help him. Going back to Wisconsin and facing Harry or Asku forces Alma to consider their time at a school meant to assimilate Indigenous children into white culture and challenge the lies she has told herself. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuNUxh7DRjqN_BIGlCSV9nQPQxL4vXLojFRAzfYtTLc1AKWyd-clYrtsSV1MlgY_dGtxUSCDj8t7jvxEesIwiAQiAw22kda9y0WtgpjP4zAAzdo8JU8y7_P3h1hXYWJhkKolzh5Ndxe9Ih2ohwpHIVe0DLooI_LbYXR3hguRK-Yo5Mt7uJqZSRAcBpaC8/s475/Between%20Earth%20and%20Sky.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuNUxh7DRjqN_BIGlCSV9nQPQxL4vXLojFRAzfYtTLc1AKWyd-clYrtsSV1MlgY_dGtxUSCDj8t7jvxEesIwiAQiAw22kda9y0WtgpjP4zAAzdo8JU8y7_P3h1hXYWJhkKolzh5Ndxe9Ih2ohwpHIVe0DLooI_LbYXR3hguRK-Yo5Mt7uJqZSRAcBpaC8/s320/Between%20Earth%20and%20Sky.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Review: I am behind on my book club selections and still working through them. This one was sent to me in 2019. It makes me wonder if it would still have been a selection now or if the people who run the club would’ve been more critical of it. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">I wonder if I would’ve been more critical if I had read it then. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">But I read it now and so 2024 me will be reviewing it. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">The book is clearly well-researched, especially regarding the timeframes in which it is set. We bounce between a few time periods stretching through the 1870s to the 19-aughts. Skenandore captures American society and beliefs well. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">She also is able to portray Indigenous cultures, traditions, beliefs and language well. This is all important for the story she is trying to tell and I do commend her for that. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Her writing shines best when she’s highlighting the terrible treatment the Indigenous peoples suffered at the hands of Americans. How they were treated at the school Alma’s father ran and the utter disdain everyone treated them under the guise of “saving” them. Or how they were cheated by the federal agents. How they were sold a dream by the government but in fact given a nightmare. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">So why the low score? And why I wonder if it would’ve been more scrutinized if chosen now? </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Because this story about the Indigenous is centered around a white woman. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilccI3wtw1mEjgXaCoelOXMPw6dJ46H1aLGdIcu6M-UR4v1sQbpWaSuIB4bPpxiqSCBYEmsix62iNagrlGhJjjrWEiaXXyA6zVYyLU-_DGwS5xZXv-PkeRvNrlYmNhpM15He2Bc3bYq9V92xGTLzCRf9gGpjaPZVFJse2aazSmDLxwyFQsNYxEoRsWHXM/s380/yikes.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="285" data-original-width="380" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilccI3wtw1mEjgXaCoelOXMPw6dJ46H1aLGdIcu6M-UR4v1sQbpWaSuIB4bPpxiqSCBYEmsix62iNagrlGhJjjrWEiaXXyA6zVYyLU-_DGwS5xZXv-PkeRvNrlYmNhpM15He2Bc3bYq9V92xGTLzCRf9gGpjaPZVFJse2aazSmDLxwyFQsNYxEoRsWHXM/s320/yikes.gif" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">I think I understand why Skenandore decided to use a white woman as her narrator but I feel it still fell flat. Especially as she started to lean on some rather cliche plot points, including one I figured out the second she introduced a “bad boy” character. I was disappointed she went in that direction as I felt it centered Alma’s pain rather than the pain of the Indigenous characters, who never seem to end up as fully fleshed out characters. All seem to exist just to prop Alma up.</span></p><p align="left"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Overall, I think my main problem is that I don’t really feel that Alma had lasting change by the end of the book. I felt she kept learning the same lesson over and over but she refused to let it stick. By the time I closed the book, I didn’t think Alma’s life was changed all that much. I feel like she would just return to her life and not really think of her Indigenous friends again. </span></p><p align="left"><span style="color: #a64d79;">And in the end, Alma hurt the story the most. </span></p><p align="left"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Bottom line: An important story to tell but maybe not through the right lens. </span></p><p align="left"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Sex: One scene</span></p><p align="left"><strong><u><span style="color: #a64d79;">Moonlight Musing</span></u></strong></p><p align="left"><span style="color: #a64d79;">What would you do if someone forced you to give up everything in your life? </span></p>Allie Brimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02431579155004073251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8719266189033288281.post-61164498167837224052024-02-02T12:00:00.001-05:002024-02-02T12:00:00.135-05:00“She Wouldn’t Change a Thing” by Sarah Adlakha<p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Title: <em>She Wouldn’t Change a Thing</em> <br />Author: Sarah Adlakha <br />Publisher: Forge <br />Year: 2021 <br />Genre(s): literary fiction, science fiction <br />Part of a Series: No</span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Rating: </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ErKZeBd8qPMqUmyxrNKpvjyEhHGI0XV_HTfYWf72YtErkAT_dijXt3BcUDjHioVDAqKjUPeumQUJOkjnEkixPU_Es3kA-15mcT7u6y4p2ACndfR94fTtCYYpcOmqOcdRL3kMfRFbNksVnkCRG9XPTv8GMLIvNLQY3Vj16T4oBM8P0d9p6i3ZZyxfSqY/s456/three%20moons.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="153" data-original-width="456" height="67" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ErKZeBd8qPMqUmyxrNKpvjyEhHGI0XV_HTfYWf72YtErkAT_dijXt3BcUDjHioVDAqKjUPeumQUJOkjnEkixPU_Es3kA-15mcT7u6y4p2ACndfR94fTtCYYpcOmqOcdRL3kMfRFbNksVnkCRG9XPTv8GMLIvNLQY3Vj16T4oBM8P0d9p6i3ZZyxfSqY/w200-h67/three%20moons.png" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span><span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Why I read it: 12 Days of Bookmas gift</span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Summary: Maria Forsmann is a successful psychiatrist, wife and mother of two with one on the way. But an appointment with one patient sets things in motion that ultimately change Maria’s life forever. After a traumatic event, she wakes up in her seventeen year body and realizes she has been sent in time to prevent another tragedy. But doing so would prevent her from returning to her family forever. What will she choose? </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9M7gmRKJQ7SP8raJGcCUkXy5ROVfLNZ-_oadAqx6Vf_8SKgv7ftn7smQlQyE1G-RqhOu52L2lYtqDzGrUR5teVm_TzccVf90HtKy8MGlKjqDo92bc7g_NPCq6ZdVTx4Ryoo7JVDXhYoINgV1JiNudBtbxXSfcqxjenVLhf-fLFT7h1QZOTFtq9NfV8YI/s400/She%20Wouldn't%20Change%20a%20Thing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9M7gmRKJQ7SP8raJGcCUkXy5ROVfLNZ-_oadAqx6Vf_8SKgv7ftn7smQlQyE1G-RqhOu52L2lYtqDzGrUR5teVm_TzccVf90HtKy8MGlKjqDo92bc7g_NPCq6ZdVTx4Ryoo7JVDXhYoINgV1JiNudBtbxXSfcqxjenVLhf-fLFT7h1QZOTFtq9NfV8YI/s320/She%20Wouldn't%20Change%20a%20Thing.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Review: This is another book that I felt took too long to get to the main thrust of the story and did a lot more telling than showing. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">The part about Maria ending up in her teenage body and having to make a moral decision really only constitutes the last third of the book. And another third is devoted to another character who is connected with Maria but feels like if her sections were cut, the story wouldn’t have lost much. I think if she just made a cameo appearance at the end, it may have had a bigger emotional impact. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">While I appreciate that Adlakha had a more honest depiction of being a working mother, even with a partner, I feel it sacrificed Maria’s relationship with Will. Maria tells us over and over about how special her relationship with Will was but we don’t really see it. Our main glimpses of Will in the beginning really show a man who is not pulling his weight in his marriage and leaving his wife to manage everything. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">This presented an issue for me as I couldn’t understand why Maria wanted to return to him. Her children, yes. But him? No. I thought maybe she would realize she deserved better but that never seemed to happen. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">I did like how Adlakha presented Maria’s moral dilemma. She had each side presented by different characters who got close to Maria. I liked how they presented their sides but you could see their biases, wondering which side Maria would ultimately choose. That was a nice touch. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">It also makes you think – would you make the same choice as Maria? Sometimes I think I would and other times, I think I wouldn’t. It certainly leaves an impression on you. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Bottom line: A good premise that maybe needed another round of edits. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Sex: Mentions, nothing graphic. </span></p><p><strong><u><span style="color: #a64d79;">Moonlight Musing</span></u></strong></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">What would you do if you woke up in the past with all your memories of the present? </span></p>Allie Brimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02431579155004073251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8719266189033288281.post-27486094991764545672024-01-19T12:00:00.001-05:002024-01-19T12:00:00.136-05:00“The Last Tale of the Flower Bride” by Roshani Chokshi<p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Title: <em>The Last Tale of the Flower Bride</em> <br />Author: Roshani Chokshi <br />Publisher: HarperCollins <br />Year: 2023 <br />Genre(s): gothic, mystery <br />Part of a Series: No</span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Rating: <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFacqjX-IGAyp63B-K9gbLJwJf79Q-JvfaXartsmvEc1qRKCr0drggjl6pjLhCoFGVKBOZVB5S3YXkR5bGek5QPjldg1gipfxkqpp69LKtlj4s7u-52ekn-TEz5fVeC3MSb1kn-a-yaD8qip2cA08OuJn_6DGShLMuyluFZtVmima-79vGGY1Bjm1AU4U/s541/three%20and%20a%20half%20moons.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="153" data-original-width="541" height="56" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFacqjX-IGAyp63B-K9gbLJwJf79Q-JvfaXartsmvEc1qRKCr0drggjl6pjLhCoFGVKBOZVB5S3YXkR5bGek5QPjldg1gipfxkqpp69LKtlj4s7u-52ekn-TEz5fVeC3MSb1kn-a-yaD8qip2cA08OuJn_6DGShLMuyluFZtVmima-79vGGY1Bjm1AU4U/w200-h56/three%20and%20a%20half%20moons.png" width="200" /></a><br /><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Why I Read It: Once Upon a Book Club selection</span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Summary: A scholar specializing in fairytales and legends marries a mysterious woman named Indigo on one condition – he never asks about her past. But when they return to her childhood home for her aunt’s last days, he realizes he needs to break his promise and discover what happened to her friend Azure. But will learning this secret not only end his marriage but his life? </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ZkPKBQOfhfA7k9_lfQQ2KvKf7-_hYT8zkR-49BL8psZkON4n7h_BOezbxDqRVA7rl26kkeEFWq95kbgAp2poQ5LSxVcmzDxTvuUzPv1BlDX4qb-MhcEtCvQwXz54utJ80YrkZVt_1-xxZsUcjJYx5eZ4TQsETeRJoont80oxjrzWdRH4WdOM7qv1nRQ/s400/The%20Last%20Tale%20of%20the%20Flower%20Bride.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="263" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ZkPKBQOfhfA7k9_lfQQ2KvKf7-_hYT8zkR-49BL8psZkON4n7h_BOezbxDqRVA7rl26kkeEFWq95kbgAp2poQ5LSxVcmzDxTvuUzPv1BlDX4qb-MhcEtCvQwXz54utJ80YrkZVt_1-xxZsUcjJYx5eZ4TQsETeRJoont80oxjrzWdRH4WdOM7qv1nRQ/s320/The%20Last%20Tale%20of%20the%20Flower%20Bride.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><span style="color: #a64d79;"><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a></span><p></p>Review: This has been a hard review to write. I feel like I have so many directions but I couldn’t pick one to follow.<p></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">It also is frustrating because I know I need to review the book I read and not the one I thought it should be. But this book held so much promise and I don’t think it fully lived up to it. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Honestly, I found it much like <em>Rebecca</em> by Daphne du Maurier, especially as one main character never has a name and is just referred to as “The Bridegroom.” And he’s in a house haunted by someone who went missing with his wife who refuses to talk about her past. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">(Yet surprisingly, <em>Rebecca</em> never receives a mention in any blurb on the book’s dust jacket). </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">I think Chokshi should’ve leaned into <em>Rebecca</em> and made The Bridegroom the only narrator. Really tease out the mystery of Azure and his own past to add tension and make Indigo seem more intriguing. Because as it was, I didn’t really see why he didn’t just leave her. There just was no connection there. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Or she should’ve really leaned into Azure’s story as there was more of a connection between her and Indigo. Just let her story play out without all the mystery that really wasn’t a mystery. At least not to me. I just figured it out. Nothing really gave away. I just knew that was how the author would progress. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">However I think the Bridegroom angle would’ve been best and let Chokshi still build her gothic world of a house that felt alive but really lean into the ghosts as well.</span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">I also think that would’ve benefitted Indigo as well because she felt too much like an enigma and like she wasn’t really a character. She felt more like a plot device than anything else. And I think that hurt the story. Azure really drove the story and I think if she was more a supporting player than the main character, Indigo would’ve felt more real. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Or maybe that was the point. Maybe she was supposed to feel like a fairy tale character. If so, I didn’t like it but maybe someone else will. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Bottom line: There’s a good story in there but the author may have gotten too ambitious. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Sex: Some. Nothing too, too graphic. </span></p><p><strong><u><span style="color: #a64d79;">Moonlight Musing</span></u></strong></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">What is your favorite fairytale, myth or legend? </span></p>Allie Brimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02431579155004073251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8719266189033288281.post-23271567325122355022024-01-05T12:00:00.001-05:002024-01-09T01:55:53.230-05:00Wrapping Up 2023<p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Happy New Year again! </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Since I don't have a new review ready, I thought I would just do a little wrap up of 2023. Everyone else does it, so why not me?</span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">I had 22 posts to this blog during 2023 and 17 of them were book reviews. The other fives were other posts, usually recommendation lists. Of those reviews, these were the most popular: </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">1.<a href="https://readingbythemoonlight.blogspot.com/2023/03/the-space-between-by-dete-meserve.html"> The Space Between by Dete Meserve</a>: 55 total views</span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">2. <a href="https://readingbythemoonlight.blogspot.com/2023/02/the-very-secret-society-of-irregular.html">The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna</a> with 45 total views</span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">3. <a href="https://readingbythemoonlight.blogspot.com/2023/04/the-duchess-by-wendy-holden.html">The Duchess by Wendy Holden </a> with 44 total views</span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">4. <a href="https://readingbythemoonlight.blogspot.com/2023/03/wildland-by-rebecca-hodge.html">The Wildland by Rebecca Hodges</a> and <a href="https://readingbythemoonlight.blogspot.com/2023/06/sisters-of-resistance-by-christine-wells.html">Sisters of the Resistance by Christine Wells</a> tied with 43 total views each</span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">6. <a href="https://readingbythemoonlight.blogspot.com/2023/06/the-book-of-cold-cases-by-simone-st.html">The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James</a> with 42 total views </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Many, of course, were published in the first half of the year and so benefitted from being up longer. Here were the three most popular posts of the second half of the year: </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">1. <a href="https://readingbythemoonlight.blogspot.com/2023/09/the-house-on-harbor-hill-by-shelly.html">The House on Harbor Hill by Shelly Stratton</a> with 33 total views</span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">2. <a href="https://readingbythemoonlight.blogspot.com/2023/09/the-night-olivia-fell-by-christina.html">The Night Olivia Fell by Christina McDonald</a> with 20 total views</span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">3. <a href="https://readingbythemoonlight.blogspot.com/2023/10/how-penguins-saved-veronica-by-hazel.html">How the Penguins Saved Veronica by Hazel Prior</a> with 16 total views</span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">So that was my 2023! I look forward to all the reviews I'll post in 2024 and hope you continue reading them!</span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Did you have a favorite review or book from 2023? If so, let me know in the comments! </span></p>Allie Brimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02431579155004073251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8719266189033288281.post-7858873551166797952024-01-01T14:50:00.004-05:002024-01-01T14:50:29.867-05:00My Books of 2023<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0gRC2lXiU3cjAsVtAoX73B4NCjh-wsIA6rGlbTKGWeRD-US-NCdmPWSjm-_ty4xaIc1vVlUEhDsgZWn67H8vvtmKyDFlri629YeMbgo2_TQEvKcp5Ln8eHDsJJuMZNkL3e79EK1IEMFroAQeX1l2HQQFk6UCxSB9MWrq_aMs_p3PB4tqhBMh9xP7c6jI/s776/2023%20Collage.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="713" data-original-width="776" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0gRC2lXiU3cjAsVtAoX73B4NCjh-wsIA6rGlbTKGWeRD-US-NCdmPWSjm-_ty4xaIc1vVlUEhDsgZWn67H8vvtmKyDFlri629YeMbgo2_TQEvKcp5Ln8eHDsJJuMZNkL3e79EK1IEMFroAQeX1l2HQQFk6UCxSB9MWrq_aMs_p3PB4tqhBMh9xP7c6jI/s320/2023%20Collage.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">These are the 15 books I read in 2023! I still have two books left to review so you can expect those soon! I struggled with one and then the holidays were a bit crazy this year. But I'll start new now that it's January 1st and I'll finish those two pending reviews from 2023. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">And then I'll continue on with the new books I'm going to read in 2024. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Thank you to everyone who read one of my reviews last year and I hope you'll continue this year! </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Happy New Year! </span></p>Allie Brimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02431579155004073251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8719266189033288281.post-78499135983814497742023-11-24T12:00:00.001-05:002023-11-24T12:00:00.141-05:00Happy Holidays!<p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Yesterday was Thanksgiving. I’m preparing this post ahead of time because I know this will be a busy time period for me. Either I’m recovering from a turkey coma or hiding from my sister because she’s super stressed about her wedding next week and taking it out on everyone.</span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Whatever it is, please wish me luck. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Since the holiday season is in full swing, I thought I would share some books I’ve read that center around the holidays. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Enjoy! </span></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8719266189033288281/1827890626694907727">In a Holidaze</a> by Christina Lauren: Christmas meets Groundhog’s Day. Our main character, Mae, gets to relive the days around Christmas over and over until she learns to seize the day and get what she wants. She really learns how to live her life while celebrating with her family and friends. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8719266189033288281/6586403712616242273">A Royal Christmas Wish</a> by Lizzie Shane: A good one for fans of Hallmark movies. Jenny is trying to find purpose in her life when she meets Prince Domenic of San Noelle. After an encounter with a strange woman, Jenny wakes up to find herself Prince Dominic’s wife. But she will only be his wife until Christmas and as she realizes that being the princess of San Noelle gives her purpose, she tries to find a way to make this life a reality. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;"><a href="https://readingbythemoonlight.blogspot.com/2018/02/every-time-bell-rings-by-carmel.html">Every Time a Bell Rings</a> by Carmel Harrington: “It’s a Wonderful Life”-esque. When her life takes a turn for the worse around Christmas, Belle Bailey wonders what would happen if she hadn’t been born. And she gets a chance to experience it firsthand, allowing her to see what kind of impact she has had on the people around her. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;"><a href="https://readingbythemoonlight.blogspot.com/2016/07/bakers-dozen-by-allison-fuller.html">Baker’s Dozen</a> by Allison Fuller: Takes the reader on journey through the fall, culminating at Christmastime. Victoria owns a bakery and when she falls for the handsome professor who comes in every day, her life changes forever.</span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">I really thought I had read more books centered around the holidays but I guess not. Maybe that’s something I need to change. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Do you have any recommendations? If so, let me know in the comments! </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Next time I’ll return with a new review! </span></p>Allie Brimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02431579155004073251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8719266189033288281.post-44420925569824705982023-11-10T12:00:00.001-05:002023-11-10T12:00:00.151-05:00“Fake It Till You Bake It” by Jamie Wesley<p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Title: <em>Fake It Till You Bake It</em> <br />Author: Jamie Wesley <br />Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin <br />Year: 2022 <br />Genre(s): romantic comedy <br />Part of a Series: No</span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Rating: </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn1BE-PtQhC0R4RN5RZUxu_nPeDjWMKndwu5VSkvYIf2S0-phFb0fYCtl1he0T9RfPc7H7yV8RlgVtXzBxg-Wfie9mJbziA5PN858bRe57iGjlkYs6uvmAPvDv-jpLyKeiWN2xZEzWOYzMi-j-8JpXlwk7BHeXwnjB0SUus05MN3PH71GapxT4Epu1rcc/s692/four%20and%20a%20half%20moons.png" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="153" data-original-width="692" height="44" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn1BE-PtQhC0R4RN5RZUxu_nPeDjWMKndwu5VSkvYIf2S0-phFb0fYCtl1he0T9RfPc7H7yV8RlgVtXzBxg-Wfie9mJbziA5PN858bRe57iGjlkYs6uvmAPvDv-jpLyKeiWN2xZEzWOYzMi-j-8JpXlwk7BHeXwnjB0SUus05MN3PH71GapxT4Epu1rcc/w200-h44/four%20and%20a%20half%20moons.png" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /><br /></span></p><p align="left"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Why I Read It: Once Upon a Book Club selection</span></p><p align="left"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Summary: Professional football player and bakery owner Donovan Dell’s orderly life gets turned upside down when he hired Jada Townsend-Matthews to work at his bakery. She is the most hated woman in America after turning down a beloved bachelor on a reality dating show. When pressed for an explanation, Jada lies that she’s dating someone and ropes Donovan into being her fake boyfriend. But as their relationship continues, things start to change for the better – and their feelings may not be as fake as they thought. </span></p><p align="left"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRnSYEAw99FZf96sEhD9KR9ZM1o4eWH4Ofpvgzg15wuZ_I-1kjY9pkbW4D9OP0vp0aAi_4x9XV_zjrwIGU33pYd_Z1ySBlnlYK5DNGJiVS6JO3gNLXVFjul0us7keWB98LLHUQGc4Oz-HfqFkl7cdxzJ1Hi5ZOg2YSe3I2htjscHBp7hGscMrMNRskMys/s400/Fake%20It%20Till%20You%20Bake%20It.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="261" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRnSYEAw99FZf96sEhD9KR9ZM1o4eWH4Ofpvgzg15wuZ_I-1kjY9pkbW4D9OP0vp0aAi_4x9XV_zjrwIGU33pYd_Z1ySBlnlYK5DNGJiVS6JO3gNLXVFjul0us7keWB98LLHUQGc4Oz-HfqFkl7cdxzJ1Hi5ZOg2YSe3I2htjscHBp7hGscMrMNRskMys/s320/Fake%20It%20Till%20You%20Bake%20It.jpg" width="209" /></a></div><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><p align="left"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Review: Another fun rom-com! It was another nice treat! </span></p><p align="left"><span style="color: #a64d79;">I was amused that it also featured another <em>Bachelor</em>-esque show as well but that was more my doing. I’m behind on my books and so I’m reading one from each year. <em>If the Shoe Fits</em> was a 2021 pick while <em>Fake It Till You Bake It</em> was a 2022 pick. </span></p><p align="left"><span style="color: #a64d79;">But the coincidence is still amusing. </span></p><p align="left"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Jada and Donovan were a great couple to watch fall in love. They were opposites but the type that complement each other. Donovan needed Jada’s more spontaneous nature while she needed his more disciplined nature to help them both grow as people. He learned to embrace some chaos in his life and she learned to focus herself to achieve her goals. They both grow together. </span></p><p align="left"><span style="color: #a64d79;">And that’s something you want in a good romantic couple. </span></p><p align="left"><span style="color: #a64d79;">That and chemistry, which Jada and Donovan had in spades. It was easy to root for them from their first interaction. As a reader, you know it wasn’t as fake as they wanted to believe and couldn’t wait until they realized it as well. </span></p><p align="left"><span style="color: #a64d79;">And that doesn’t even touch on the steamy love scenes included in the book. You’ll definitely feel the need to fan yourself while reading them. </span></p><p align="left"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Then you’ll likely want to get a cupcake for yourself because the ones in the book sounded so good. </span></p><p align="left"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Bottom line: A fun and sweet romance. </span></p><p align="left"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Sex: Yes and in some detail. </span></p><p align="left"><strong><u><span style="color: #a64d79;">Moonlight Musing</span></u></strong></p><p align="left"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Do you like fake dating tropes? </span></p>Allie Brimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02431579155004073251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8719266189033288281.post-68133593908802122312023-10-27T12:00:00.001-04:002023-10-27T12:00:00.149-04:00“If the Shoe Fits” by Julie Murphy<p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Title: <em>If the Shoe Fits</em> <br />Author: Julie Murphy <br />Publisher: Hyperion Avenue <br />Year: 2021 <br />Genre(s): romantic comedy <br />Part of a Series: Yes, Book 1</span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Rating: <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ2IuIY89Il0wSiruvkbHRV5asyx__W2mFNv1cQstzIADC0JqU7dHdrvcuzBoZJQP5gHw76HZS-saxIGNiwrK21qHoli-XyOM-C6HqadsxcIpVLOPcZELewiJHHzD_FWwpI7iDl0lk4Qze77ucyxcZA36uEeJjlw7D_qWr7zaC8oF6lMLYtqXlYCjjOtY/s692/four%20and%20a%20half%20moons.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="153" data-original-width="692" height="44" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ2IuIY89Il0wSiruvkbHRV5asyx__W2mFNv1cQstzIADC0JqU7dHdrvcuzBoZJQP5gHw76HZS-saxIGNiwrK21qHoli-XyOM-C6HqadsxcIpVLOPcZELewiJHHzD_FWwpI7iDl0lk4Qze77ucyxcZA36uEeJjlw7D_qWr7zaC8oF6lMLYtqXlYCjjOtY/w200-h44/four%20and%20a%20half%20moons.png" width="200" /></a><br /><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Why I read it: Once Upon a Book Club pick</span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Summary: Cindy Woods loves fashion – especially shoes. However, she’s found that her creativity has fled her as she graduates fashion school. Unsure of her next step, she agrees to be on the dating reality show her stepmother produces called <em>Before Midnight</em>. Cindy hopes to get some exposure and kickstart her career. But when she meets Prince Charming, everything changes. Will she managed to get the prince? Or is she primed for heartbreak? </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG7RjOrTVqqTrou4nSviwSjBauxK3JqhlhU3Pbl2vStlfvtZV4586cXCHsc2H4OUkFkNNCfiXlszLrQTRuqmTn6-vVO0vrfPKQ9wo9NSmoVapeUSE2vtw93S0umSZOV-aA2K1FFJ9TSNx5KRDiZ0S4hkz3RhK2-NqNQ5bUn8kGtXqp0ckfC9yPzrXM14U/s1510/If%20the%20Shoe%20Fits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1510" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG7RjOrTVqqTrou4nSviwSjBauxK3JqhlhU3Pbl2vStlfvtZV4586cXCHsc2H4OUkFkNNCfiXlszLrQTRuqmTn6-vVO0vrfPKQ9wo9NSmoVapeUSE2vtw93S0umSZOV-aA2K1FFJ9TSNx5KRDiZ0S4hkz3RhK2-NqNQ5bUn8kGtXqp0ckfC9yPzrXM14U/s320/If%20the%20Shoe%20Fits.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Review: I certainly read a lot of heavy books this year and it was nice to have something light and fun for a change. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">So if you want something fun to read, I definitely recommend this! </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">The only reason it didn’t get five stars is that I think the reality show angle wasn’t used to the author’s full advantage. Normally reality shows like the Bachelor are filmed ahead of time and then aired. In the book, it was filmed and then aired a few days later. I think Murphy could’ve used the lag time to really build the relationship with Cindy and Henry but this was just a little quibble when compared to the rest of the book. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">So onto the rest! </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Cindy is a good protagonist. The story is told from her perspective as it is first person so we get to know her the best. She feels relatable and like an Everywoman character. I think most reads could identify with her in some way. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Henry was a good romantic interest as well and had good chemistry with Cindy. I do wish we go to know him a bit sooner but what we got was very good. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">When Murphy wrote them together, they really meshed well and it was magical. Their romance really makes the book even better and they had several cute scenes together – as well as some steamy ones as well. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">I am glad that she didn’t make the stepmother and stepsisters mean to Cindy. They care about her in their own ways and she has a good relationship with them for the most part. So that was very sweet. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Murphy did a good job with some descriptions – you could tell she really likes fashion and knows New York – but I think she could’ve done a little more. Especially with the house where the show filmed. It was important to the plot and often felt like a vague beige backdrop in my mind. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">But overall, it was a great book. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Bottom: A fun and romantic read. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Sex: Some steamy scenes and some implications but nothing too elaborate. </span></p><p><strong><u><span style="color: #a64d79;">Moonlight Musing</span></u></strong></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">What fairy tale do you wish would get a modern adaptation? </span></p>Allie Brimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02431579155004073251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8719266189033288281.post-61295755300042798552023-10-13T12:00:00.001-04:002023-10-13T12:00:00.157-04:00“How the Penguins Saved Veronica” by Hazel Prior<p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Title: <em>How the Penguins Saved Veronica</em> <br />Author: Hazel Prior <br />Publisher: Berkley <br />Year: 2020 <br />Genre(s): contemporary, some historical fiction <br />Part of a Series: No</span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Rating: </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpp-CiE-X3DUusE7wwlpXP3e463Ls-ZbGILWozDuEzTud5FIpGMFAYlfgivWD_N0C8EPyfaXc_9omYfkn6ZzUxViLQmXtRxER5VQY9KNhUu8jmHvpNdS84VuQdWzbZYB3bxvY2W456HXnzGFYKqj9Dq_a00mFWM7gIChT4wF_wlYZPNX_vsjvUGozJr4s/s610/four%20moons.png" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="153" data-original-width="610" height="50" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpp-CiE-X3DUusE7wwlpXP3e463Ls-ZbGILWozDuEzTud5FIpGMFAYlfgivWD_N0C8EPyfaXc_9omYfkn6ZzUxViLQmXtRxER5VQY9KNhUu8jmHvpNdS84VuQdWzbZYB3bxvY2W456HXnzGFYKqj9Dq_a00mFWM7gIChT4wF_wlYZPNX_vsjvUGozJr4s/w200-h50/four%20moons.png" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Why I read it: Once Upon a Book Club pick</span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Summary: Eighty-six year old Veronica McCreedy wants to do something to save the world. After watching a documentary on penguins, she travels down to observe the scientists studying them. She forms a bond with them and the penguins. But when disaster falls, her recently discovered grandson travels to join them. Will the penguins help them connect or will it be too late? </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm4EdhWOlnl1GBjX5TmQULhBjGO64Wa9IhuFlOTFRyrXJeTFvQ4807mTBFYgHU_URFej4ZWdx9FYUuNsth50rClzzJGDSDzEtxvY0OFfKGlkfI4nsp17BeLhKI05Brrvilr1AaH8DrvTkWNcMpD3eVOpP5OmqJxDupXdCrCtVx-bOAD-fkePNdKJp5_KE/s4950/How%20the%20Penguins%20Saved%20Veronica.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4950" data-original-width="3300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm4EdhWOlnl1GBjX5TmQULhBjGO64Wa9IhuFlOTFRyrXJeTFvQ4807mTBFYgHU_URFej4ZWdx9FYUuNsth50rClzzJGDSDzEtxvY0OFfKGlkfI4nsp17BeLhKI05Brrvilr1AaH8DrvTkWNcMpD3eVOpP5OmqJxDupXdCrCtVx-bOAD-fkePNdKJp5_KE/s320/How%20the%20Penguins%20Saved%20Veronica.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Review: This book surprised me. I thought it would be a cute and fun read and it turned into something deeper than I expected – but in a good way. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Multiple narrators seem to be a growing trend in books. This one has two – we alternate between Veronica’s POV and Patrick’s. I think I’m getting more used to it but it sometimes felt a bit jarring and almost like a break in momentum. But for the most part, it was smooth so it wasn’t too distracting. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Veronica was a bit hard to root for. And it’s not because of her age. It’s because she’s prickly and believes she is always right. She looks down on almost everyone and you wonder why you want to read about her. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">But you get to see her go on a journey toward opening her heart. She starts to reconnect with humanity and realizes that there’s more that she can do to change the world. And while she isn’t a completely different person by the end, she does become someone you want to root for. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">I do feel as if her backstory probably could’ve been unveiled slowly over the course of the book rather than essentially info-dumped in the middle. It was well-written but still seems to veer off into a separate historical fiction novel that just got smooshed together with this book. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Patrick is more sympathetic character from the start. While his life is a mess following a breakup, you can tell he’s a good person who just needs to find the motivation to get his life together. It was fun watching his journey throughout the book though I worry his story got hijacked by Veronica’s backstory. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">I do think Prior could’ve delved deeper into some relationships but I think we got a good amount. Especially between Veronica and Terry. Their friendship really drove the story more than anything else. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Prior maybe could’ve utilized the setting more, especially the small research base, but her descriptions were amazing. She brought the Antarctic to life. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Bottom line: A good read though it does drag in some parts. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Sex: Some mentions</span></p><p><strong><u><span style="color: #a64d79;">Moonlight Musing</span></u></strong></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">If you could go anywhere and money would not be an issue, where would you go?</span> </p>Allie Brimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02431579155004073251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8719266189033288281.post-23127991359464570602023-09-29T12:00:00.001-04:002023-09-29T12:00:00.173-04:00"The Night Olivia Fell" by Christina McDonald<p align="left"><span style="color: #c27ba0;">Title: <i>The Night Olivia Fell </i><br />Author: Christina McDonald <br />Publisher: Gallery Books <br />Year: 2019 <br />Genre(s): contemporary, suspense <br />Part of a Series: No</span></p><p align="left"><span style="color: #c27ba0;">Rating: </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJt49Adt8kUHXpLgCUcUyjk3AV3DhHsoVXrZBuCgcDZw0cVAcwuSazEljT8lY_5a8sss0iEpVUheARLUaiQhpcgr9mofMtuhdsMgKUwvSng8OZT4olKutGIJu-pcMNe4fURWYnpPQtkbVrvX-6jxxjF2sjsdRH4kP3tgkIjDBhcMD8A396OSJO0MLwZDc/s610/four%20moons.png" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="153" data-original-width="610" height="50" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJt49Adt8kUHXpLgCUcUyjk3AV3DhHsoVXrZBuCgcDZw0cVAcwuSazEljT8lY_5a8sss0iEpVUheARLUaiQhpcgr9mofMtuhdsMgKUwvSng8OZT4olKutGIJu-pcMNe4fURWYnpPQtkbVrvX-6jxxjF2sjsdRH4kP3tgkIjDBhcMD8A396OSJO0MLwZDc/w200-h50/four%20moons.png" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #c27ba0;"><br /><br /></span></p><p align="left"></p><p align="left"><span style="color: #c27ba0;">Why I read it: Once Upon a Book Club pick</span></p><p align="left"></p><p align="left"><span style="color: #c27ba0;">Summary: Abi’s life is turned upside down when her teenage daughter ends up in a coma. Declared braindead, Olivia is kept alive due to the baby growing inside her. As the weeks fly by, Abi struggles to find out the truth about what happened to her daughter before she has to say goodbye for good. </span></p><p align="left"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaP14qEpjw8tc0TUflZF9m-aZ9AOnMR_OCJgEhSECAfyloJwyVyYmvfqzbfFX8eIDBRKA-zAkUQBLmgdK2kLkomUXR3-YyQ4oS1yhJPJk5WEqHVJwSFDNZQU2igWcVNlzMUviFQ3j30jcC02Se5-4prDSxL2lFDB310oiWEzwY4qTHKroALzgJ6BHOmlQ/s2475/The%20Night%20of%20Olivia%20Fell.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2475" data-original-width="1592" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaP14qEpjw8tc0TUflZF9m-aZ9AOnMR_OCJgEhSECAfyloJwyVyYmvfqzbfFX8eIDBRKA-zAkUQBLmgdK2kLkomUXR3-YyQ4oS1yhJPJk5WEqHVJwSFDNZQU2igWcVNlzMUviFQ3j30jcC02Se5-4prDSxL2lFDB310oiWEzwY4qTHKroALzgJ6BHOmlQ/s320/The%20Night%20of%20Olivia%20Fell.jpg" width="206" /></a></div><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><p align="left"><span style="color: #c27ba0;">Review: This was a very interesting book that left me guessing almost until the end. </span></p><p align="left"><span style="color: #c27ba0;">The story is told from two perspectives. We have Abi’s after Olivia has fallen and is declared braindead. She works to figure out what happens to her daughter when it becomes clear the police aren’t going to investigate. Abi finds support in a police liaison named Anthony and has to confront her past – namely, Olivia’s father. </span></p><p align="left"><span style="color: #c27ba0;">We also have Olivia’s perspective in the lead up to her fall. After finding a girl who could be her twin, she starts to search for her biological father. She also forms a relationship with her best friend’s brother despite still being in another relationship. Olivia starts sneaking around and lying as danger lurks around the corner – but who will end up hurting her in the end? </span></p><p align="left"><span style="color: #c27ba0;">We got clues from both sides and it allowed readers to put it all together. </span></p><p align="left"><span style="color: #c27ba0;">It also allowed us to get to know Olivia as a character rather than have her just be someone in a bed throughout the book. She felt like a real teenager trapped in some complicated situations and trying to be adult while confused about who she could trust. Her story got frustrating but it rang true. </span></p><p align="left"><span style="color: #c27ba0;">And I liked how Olivia seemed to have an unfinished character arc. She was starting to grow and mature but it was cut short. That was well done. </span></p><p align="left"><span style="color: #c27ba0;">Abi, though, is the star of the book. She really goes on a journey where she finds the strength to continue living – and really living for the first time in years. I really enjoyed following her story. </span></p><p align="left"><span style="color: #c27ba0;">So bravo to McDonald for doing that. </span></p><p align="left"><span style="color: #c27ba0;">Bottom line: An intriguing mystery with solid characters. </span></p><p align="left"><span style="color: #c27ba0;">Sex: Some, nothing too graphic. </span></p><p align="left"><strong><u><span style="color: #c27ba0;">Moonlight Musing</span></u></strong></p><p><span style="color: #c27ba0;">Would you be able to investigate your loved one’s accident when no one else will? </span></p>Allie Brimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02431579155004073251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8719266189033288281.post-74629225172892435752023-09-15T12:00:00.001-04:002023-09-15T12:00:00.141-04:00"The House on Harbor Hill” by Shelly Stratton<p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Title: <em>The House on Harbor Hill</em> <br />Author: Shelly Stratton <br />Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corp. <br />Year: 2018 <br />Genre(s): historical fiction, contemporary <br />Part of a Series: No</span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Rating: </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6OUiDcZF3qGQ3uuT5c2D8b4LtKw0NoQLbiCSeirdoxUN8Vjkz1ZNT-e3HeV9ao_ydDLdEABnhYgrdRBKQ3oMGoEi7VGDpO5-weuUpTsuFEUd2Tpm-AYSZo82OmWgdbRPbsr8wVBLGJShZ57tPncm6AxSiNY5zf3VuCJCdtijMpdpgy0ohpjeoalbAmTM/s541/three%20and%20a%20half%20moons.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="153" data-original-width="541" height="56" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6OUiDcZF3qGQ3uuT5c2D8b4LtKw0NoQLbiCSeirdoxUN8Vjkz1ZNT-e3HeV9ao_ydDLdEABnhYgrdRBKQ3oMGoEi7VGDpO5-weuUpTsuFEUd2Tpm-AYSZo82OmWgdbRPbsr8wVBLGJShZ57tPncm6AxSiNY5zf3VuCJCdtijMpdpgy0ohpjeoalbAmTM/w200-h56/three%20and%20a%20half%20moons.png" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Why I read it: Once Upon a Book Club pick</span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Summary: After running from her abusive husband, Tracey has nowhere else to go with her two young children. She then receives an invitation from Delilah Grey to come live at her mansion in Camden Beach, Maryland. Tracey accepts and soon her ghosts help Delilah put her own to rest. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC5xFYtOpfngAt-lNR1rw_gCj1oLPAiTGjVT4aVJQhgJhxfM-nxM1Ykc4yO4-OY1zOnfHjXKwsiEtyma2SI48XR2mikQzKEy14YvwcrgIbTsWiE9xsXV3PGUIi2AqkWHNVjjXHvI-MjFCjaspcsaycsJYeUea0NIXMaNPrlOj-tW5gXztAQxG3agiNYSE/s500/The%20House%20on%20Harbor%20Hill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="335" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC5xFYtOpfngAt-lNR1rw_gCj1oLPAiTGjVT4aVJQhgJhxfM-nxM1Ykc4yO4-OY1zOnfHjXKwsiEtyma2SI48XR2mikQzKEy14YvwcrgIbTsWiE9xsXV3PGUIi2AqkWHNVjjXHvI-MjFCjaspcsaycsJYeUea0NIXMaNPrlOj-tW5gXztAQxG3agiNYSE/s320/The%20House%20on%20Harbor%20Hill.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><span style="color: #a64d79;"><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a></span><p></p>Review: I did like this book but there were parts that just held it back from getting a higher rating.<p></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">And once again, I’ll remember to stick to what the story was rather than what I hoped it would be. It’s only fair. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">I absolutely loved Delilah’s story. Honestly, I feel it was strong enough to carry a whole book by itself and didn’t need the more modern parts, except as maybe a framing device. Delilah was compelling and her romance with Cee also was well-done. The reader could feel how she could be taken in by Cee but also then be scared of him. I think it did a good job of showing an abusive relationship. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Aidan was also a compelling character as well with his history. He also had a great relationship with Delilah, almost like a son to her. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Tracey got lost in the shuffle. She was treated as a main character but felt more like a supporting character. I think she would’ve been better served that way rather than getting overshadowed by Delilah despite how their stories had good parallels. Stratton should’ve really leaned into that more than she did, in my opinion. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Stratton had good grasp of imagery and delving into a character’s emotions, especially with Delilah. I think that was one of the reason why her story really resonated with me. My only wish was that the house felt like its own character rather than just a backdrop, especially given how important it was. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Though I felt it had some drawbacks, this book still explored some intriguing and complex topics well. So I do encourage you to read it – especially for Delilah’s story. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Bottom line: A good story that maybe bit off more than it could chew. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Sex: Some mentions, nothing graphic. Some nonconsensual. </span></p><p><strong><u><span style="color: #a64d79;">Moonlight Musing</span></u></strong></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Do you think there are cases that would be decided differently today? </span></p>Allie Brimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02431579155004073251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8719266189033288281.post-29740237215787719152023-09-01T12:00:00.001-04:002023-09-01T12:00:00.145-04:00Merry Old England<p> As I mentioned in my last post, I was on vacation and part of it was spent in London. I was also on vacation last week or else this would’ve been posted sooner. Still, I would like to highlight some books I’ve read and reviewed that are set in England.</p><p>(I probably should’ve done this as the post when I was in England and saved the summer books for this post but oh, well). </p><p>After going through the books I’ve reviewed, I realized I’ve read a lot set in England. And I already excluded Jane Austen. So I’m going to narrow it down to my top 5 books set in England. </p><p>Wish me luck! </p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p><a href="https://readingbythemoonlight.blogspot.com/2022/11/the-last-letter-from-juliet-by-melanie.html">The Last Letter from Juliet</a> by Melanie Hudson: When Katherine answers her uncle’s call for help settling a dispute in his small English town, she discovers the unpublished memoirs of a truly amazing woman and her acts of courage during World War II. Juliet’s life inspires Katherine to start living hers again as well.</p><p><a href="https://readingbythemoonlight.blogspot.com/2022/06/the-lost-apothecary-by-sarah-penner.html">The Lost Apothecary</a> by Sarah Penner: Caroline goes on her anniversary trip to London alone after learning of her husband’s infidelity. She re-evaluates her life as she rekindles her love for history. She starts to track down a mysterious apothecary named Nella as readers follow Nella on her most dangerous mission yet with a young servant girl named Eliza as her companion. </p><a href="https://readingbythemoonlight.blogspot.com/2019/04/the-glass-ocean-by-beatriz-williams.html">The Glass Ocean</a> by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White: Sarah Blake travels to England to uncover a secret her grandfather took to the grave when the Lusitania sank. She works with John Langford, whose own grandfather was on the ship as well. As they try to uncover the truth, the story involves a love triangle onboard the ship that could change history forever. <p><a href="https://readingbythemoonlight.blogspot.com/2017/02/lost-amongst-living-by-simone-st-james.html">Lost Amongst the Living</a> by Simone St. James: Jo travels with her late husband’s aunt to the family house in Sussex, England. Everything about the house feels off to her as legends of a ghost haunting the family swirl around her. As she learns more about her husband, she worries that she might be in more danger than she realized. </p><p><a href="https://readingbythemoonlight.blogspot.com/2017/01/the-rose-garden-by-susanna-kearsley.html">The Rose Garden</a> by Susanna Kearsley: A good one for fans of <em>Outlander</em>. Following the death of her sister, Eva returns to a house in Cornwall where they spent time as children. She then travels back to the 18th century before returning to her present time. Eva jumps between the two period and as she develops a relationship with one Daniel Butler, she wonders if her future is in the past. </p><p>There we go! I hope you check out these books if you haven’t already done so. </p><p>What about you? Do you have a favorite book set in England? Let me know in the comments! </p>Allie Brimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02431579155004073251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8719266189033288281.post-89331667429303253762023-07-28T12:00:00.001-04:002023-07-28T12:00:00.165-04:00Summer Reading<p><span style="color: #a64d79;"> As you read this, I’m enjoying a nice vacation in merry old England. I hope you’re having a good summer (if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere).</span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Here are some books I’ve reviewed in the past that I think would make some good summer reads: </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;"><a href="https://readingbythemoonlight.blogspot.com/2022/02/meet-me-in-paradise-by-libby-hubscher.html">Meet Me in Paradise</a> by Libby Hubscher: Marin plans on a nice getaway with her sister Sadie on the island of Saba. But when her sister misses the flight, Marin experiences paradise with the mysterious Lucas Tsai. Will the beauty of the island inspire a change in her? Or will she just go back to her humdrum life? </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;"><a href="https://readingbythemoonlight.blogspot.com/2019/09/the-beautiful-strangers-by-camille-di.html">The Beautiful Strangers</a> by Camille Di Maio: Kate Morgan follows her grandfather’s cryptic plea and gets a job at the Hotel del Coronado during filming of “Some Like it Hot.” As she gets drawn into the world inhabited by the likes of Marilyn Monroe, she is also haunted by the ghosts of the past – both the hotel’s and her own family’s. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;"><a href="https://readingbythemoonlight.blogspot.com/2018/08/the-cottingley-secret-by-hazel-gaynor.html">The Cottingley Secret</a> by Hazel Gaynor: Olivia returns to her grandfather’s house to handle his affairs after his passing. She finds an unpublished manuscript written by one of the girls who tricked the world into thinking fairies were real, fooling even Arthur Conan Doyle. But it brought magic to their tiny corner of England and it may just do the same for Olivia. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;"><a href="https://readingbythemoonlight.blogspot.com/2017/12/the-saturday-evening-girls-club-by-jane.html">The Saturday Evening Girls Club</a> by Jane Healey: Four immigrant girls meet up each week for the Saturday Evening Girls Club as they navigate balancing a new world with their old one. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;"><a href="https://readingbythemoonlight.blogspot.com/2017/06/in-light-of-garden-by-heather-burch.html">In the Light of the Garden</a> by Heather Burch: Charity returns to her grandparents’ mansion in the Florida Keys as she tries to figure out what to do next with her life. And as she builds a little family around her, she may find what she needs more – healing. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;"><a href="https://readingbythemoonlight.blogspot.com/2016/11/anonymous-by-kristina-woods.html">Anonymous</a> by Kristina Woods: Olivia decides to find her father. When she manages to do so, she changes the lives of her parents and her family forever. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;"><a href="https://readingbythemoonlight.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-greek-rule-by-aleka-nakis.html">The Greek Rule</a> by Aleka Nakis: When Athena spends time with Alex as the wedding of his brother and her best friend approaches, she considers breaking her only rule – never date a Greek. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Check them out and enjoy your summer reading! </span></p>Allie Brimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02431579155004073251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8719266189033288281.post-11010988049385262372023-07-14T12:00:00.000-04:002023-07-14T12:00:00.144-04:00Mid-Year Check In!<p><span style="color: #a64d79;"> Happy July!</span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Half the year has come and gone. And I’ve done a lot of reading and reviewing in that time. While I’m still finishing the latest book I’m reading, I’ve decided to take a lot at my top 6 reviews for this year so far.</span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">So here we go! </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">1. <a href="https://readingbythemoonlight.blogspot.com/2023/03/the-space-between-by-dete-meserve.html"><em>The Space Between</em></a> by Mete Deserve – 38 views</span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">2. <a href="https://readingbythemoonlight.blogspot.com/2023/02/the-very-secret-society-of-irregular.html"><em>The Very Secret Society of Irregular</em></a><em> Witches</em> by Sangu Mandanna – 28 views </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">3. <a href="https://readingbythemoonlight.blogspot.com/2023/03/wildland-by-rebecca-hodge.html"><em>Wildland</em></a> by Rebecca Hodge, <a href="https://readingbythemoonlight.blogspot.com/2023/04/the-duchess-by-wendy-holden.html"><em>The Duchess</em></a> by Wendy Holden, <a href="https://readingbythemoonlight.blogspot.com/2023/05/the-last-piece-by-imogen-clark.html"><em>The Last Piece</em></a> by Imogen Clark, <a href="https://readingbythemoonlight.blogspot.com/2023/06/sisters-of-resistance-by-christine-wells.html"><em>Sisters of the Resistance</em></a> by Christine Wells, and <a href="https://readingbythemoonlight.blogspot.com/2023/06/the-book-of-cold-cases-by-simone-st.html"><em>The Book of Cold Cases</em></a> by Simone St. James (5 way tie) – 23 views</span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">By contrast, here are the 3 reviews that have received the least amount of views: </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">3. <a href="https://readingbythemoonlight.blogspot.com/2023/01/the-woman-in-window-by-aj-finn.html"><em>The Woman in the Window</em></a> by A.J. Finn and <a href="https://readingbythemoonlight.blogspot.com/2023/06/the-lost-melody-by-joanna-davidson.html"><em>The Lost Melody</em></a> by Joanna Davidson Politano (Tie) – 15 views</span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">1. <a href="https://readingbythemoonlight.blogspot.com/2023/02/we-are-not-like-them-by-christine-pride.html"><em>We Are Not Like Them</em></a> by Christina Pride and Jo Piazza – 8 views</span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">There we are! If you haven’t had a chance to check out any of these reviews, please go ahead and do so.</span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">For the rest of the summer, I am holding off on reviews and will likely be posting other book-related content, though there may be at least one week where I don’t post anything. I am on vacation for the last week of July and the first week of August then again the third week of August. So I think reviews will resume in September. </span></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">I hope you enjoy the other content I’ll be posting.</span></p><p><span><span><span style="color: #a64d79;">And I hope you have a happy summer! (Or winter, if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere). </span><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: white;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>Allie Brimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02431579155004073251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8719266189033288281.post-44655780962647069612023-06-30T12:00:00.003-04:002023-07-01T21:08:16.073-04:00“The Lost Melody” by Joanna Davidson Politano<p align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-top: 18px; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font color="#a64d79"><font face="times" style="font-size: 12pt;">Title: <em>The Lost Melody</em><br />Author: Joanna Davidson Politano<br />Publisher: Revell<br />Year:
2022<br />Genre(s): historical fiction, gothic fiction, suspense, romance<br />Part of a Series: Yes, but can be read separately</font></font></p><font color="#a64d79" face="times">
</font><p align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-top: 18px; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font color="#a64d79"><font style="font-size: 12pt;"><font face="times">Rating: <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy9X4uAVJJ3SkIUzRaJZOK1wbcJZ9P5QUqpWtdgclx_B3_wsKXIynvz6GMxFN_NbrgMH0sGBlY87YSTS54zl1CoNPhRzK-sD4li6kryz3mupapzwFk4hVg81oQTqNEFDgj7Y0SNFLI4_p-q6LSANulSiYeOla7qpkvY6_GK4-7h3XQt9lRqn_P8sofvNI/s692/four%20and%20a%20half%20moons.png" style="clear: left; display: inline; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="153" data-original-width="692" height="44" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy9X4uAVJJ3SkIUzRaJZOK1wbcJZ9P5QUqpWtdgclx_B3_wsKXIynvz6GMxFN_NbrgMH0sGBlY87YSTS54zl1CoNPhRzK-sD4li6kryz3mupapzwFk4hVg81oQTqNEFDgj7Y0SNFLI4_p-q6LSANulSiYeOla7qpkvY6_GK4-7h3XQt9lRqn_P8sofvNI/w200-h44/four%20and%20a%20half%20moons.png" width="200" /></a><br /><br /></font></font></font></p><p align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-top: 18px; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font color="#a64d79" face="times" size="3">Why I read it: Once Upon a Book Club pick</font></p><p align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-top: 18px; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font color="#a64d79" face="times" size="3">Summary: Accomplished concert pianist Vivienne Mourdant is surprised when she becomes the guardian of a ward at Hurstwell Asylum. When the asylum insists her ward doesn’t exist, Vivienne goes to investigate herself. But powerful forces conspire against her and she soon finds herself an inmate at Hurstwell. Will she be able to figure out the asylum’s dark secrets and bring light to its patients? Or will she succumb to the darkness and madness herself? </font></p><p align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-top: 18px; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8groPy3oHwDmCm53lto3WgUEV9r4u0W_IcKUJi48ohHo0cXhKBZJeDtB4TdvfqaztoUkPROnUO1lnUNM9yVgO-WieFJuVit6G7PDSZwwYdvoKNO00sC-iV0yrtC104JXHz62_Q1iOORFz2_ufU8l4fqDPzN_A1nkBcirQ8I4eDxZHEL6NqWUSSiGJlqg/s1360/The%20Lost%20Melody.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1360" data-original-width="893" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8groPy3oHwDmCm53lto3WgUEV9r4u0W_IcKUJi48ohHo0cXhKBZJeDtB4TdvfqaztoUkPROnUO1lnUNM9yVgO-WieFJuVit6G7PDSZwwYdvoKNO00sC-iV0yrtC104JXHz62_Q1iOORFz2_ufU8l4fqDPzN_A1nkBcirQ8I4eDxZHEL6NqWUSSiGJlqg/s320/The%20Lost%20Melody.jpg" width="210" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: times;"><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span></span><p></p><p align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-top: 18px; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font color="#a64d79" face="times" size="3">Review: This was a good read, though I was not expecting how religious it ended up being. I myself am a practicing Catholic and even I thought it was a bit heavy-handed. But it wasn’t too distracting from the plot but just something I wanted to note so others aren’t caught off-guard like I was. </font></p><p align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-top: 18px; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font color="#a64d79" face="times" size="3"><em>The Lost Melody</em> carries on the tradition of gothic novels. I even looked it up because I was certain it fit the criteria to be considered “gothic” but I wanted to be sure. According to Wikipedia: </font></p><blockquote><p align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-top: 18px; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font color="#a64d79" face="times" size="3">Gothic fiction is characterized by an environment of fear, the threat of the supernatural events, and the intrusion of the past upon the present. </font></p></blockquote><blockquote><p align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-top: 18px; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font color="#a64d79" face="times" size="3">The setting typically includes physical reminders of the past, especially through ruined buildings which stand as proof of a previously thriving world which is decaying in the present. </font></p></blockquote><p align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-top: 18px; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font color="#a64d79" face="times" size="3">Hurstwell certainly fits that last description, especially with its forbidden tower, graveyard and the hidden room with a piano that Vivienne is able to restore at night. It seems everyone at Hurstwell is haunted in some ways – Vivienne hears phantom music and receives notes she believes are from the ghost of her ward, Dr. Mitchell Turner hears the ghost of his wife, etc. The past just haunts everyone there for different reasons. </font></p><p align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-top: 18px; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font color="#a64d79" face="times" size="3">The Wikipedia article also mentions dreams and I can confirm that they play an important part of the story as well. </font></p><p align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-top: 18px; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font color="#a64d79" face="times" size="3">All the characters are intriguing, though some are more infuriating than others. But to the author’s credit, we do feel Vivienne’s frustration with the situation and are deeply aware of how unfair the 19th century asylum system truly is, victimizing people who are already disadvantaged. It is very clear that she did her research. </font></p><p align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-top: 18px; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font color="#a64d79" face="times" size="3">I have listed romance as third genre because it plays a part in the story but nothing major. Vivienne has two potential matches and I won’t reveal who ends up coming out ahead – I think you’ll figure it out very quickly. In my opinion, she just had better chemistry with him over the other potential match.</font></p><p align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-top: 18px; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font color="#a64d79" face="times" size="3">But the main focus is on Vivienne’s relationships with the other women in the asylum. She wants to do good but plans to do it on a grander scale. The women she meets at Hurstwell show her that small acts of kindness go a lot farther than some of the grand plans she had. She makes connections and builds friendships with people society as cast aside, finding worth in them when no one else will. And that is absolutely beautiful. </font></p><p align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-top: 18px; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font color="#a64d79" face="times" size="3">Bottom line: A haunting read perfect for those who love gothic literature</font></p><p align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-top: 18px; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font color="#a64d79" face="times" size="3">Sex: None</font></p><p align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-top: 18px; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font color="#a64d79" face="times" size="3"><u>Moonlight Musing</u></font></p><p align="left" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 18px; margin-top: 18px; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><font color="#a64d79" face="times" size="3">Would you be willing to work with those society have cast aside?</font></p>Allie Brimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02431579155004073251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8719266189033288281.post-497465836428158302023-06-16T12:00:00.001-04:002023-06-16T12:00:00.137-04:00“The Book of Cold Cases” by Simone St. James<p><font color="#a64d79">Title: <em>The Book of Cold Cases</em><br />Author: Simone St. James<br />Publisher: Berkley<br />Year: 2022<br />Genre(s): mystery, suspense, paranormal<br />Part of a Series: No</font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">Rating: <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3NFIQWjcEYIFJZjpRDYA3Rb0idYXZAiPUJHje2XNQ6LugDYeyWtwPLpj5-jM7vP2zEmZnTJ7RdOZjgqcHcwtu8RvY73arfyv7j2YsVtI0oAqH9Uoqa-ZBKHG4dwGQpgDBELDbrWWOELgxLdIcrqfX-FxSYYBJI3sGPG9HiJWfWF3AqBk4Y956IWJE/s692/four%20and%20a%20half%20moons.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="153" data-original-width="692" height="44" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3NFIQWjcEYIFJZjpRDYA3Rb0idYXZAiPUJHje2XNQ6LugDYeyWtwPLpj5-jM7vP2zEmZnTJ7RdOZjgqcHcwtu8RvY73arfyv7j2YsVtI0oAqH9Uoqa-ZBKHG4dwGQpgDBELDbrWWOELgxLdIcrqfX-FxSYYBJI3sGPG9HiJWfWF3AqBk4Y956IWJE/w200-h44/four%20and%20a%20half%20moons.png" width="200" /></a><br /><br /></font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">Why I read it: Once Upon a Book Club pick</font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">Summary: By day, Shea Collins is a receptionist at a doctor’s office. By night, she is a popular blogger who runs a site called The Book of Cold Cases. She writes about true crime, her way of coping with being a player in one as a child. Her two worlds collide when she meets Beth Greer, the last member of a prominent family in their Oregon town. Back in 1977, Beth was accused of being the Lady Killer – the murderer of two men who left behind taunting notes. Though she was ultimately acquitted at trial, suspicion has followed her since then. She decides to tell her story to Shea, who realizes that there is more to the story than anyone has known. Will she be able to tell the truth – or will some force make sure the truth remains a secret? </font></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj3jukMZ8LMVfvo-jH1vV_d2qgtLpA9Q6g1UEd6NGR3tx3ZJuWiTs9hZXBT_gnpuGtxW_Fjg12CgCdC-_uHrbU6o-eBdrKJc-pctv_SuTOJ-xylkBuj_EdM9s7av9UI9uIOKA1zGItczWd-chi5xTqFk-yE2k4wKIjGrf_6KJCDFmEuPPrB_g8W29g/s2775/The%20Book%20of%20Cold%20Cases.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2775" data-original-width="1838" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj3jukMZ8LMVfvo-jH1vV_d2qgtLpA9Q6g1UEd6NGR3tx3ZJuWiTs9hZXBT_gnpuGtxW_Fjg12CgCdC-_uHrbU6o-eBdrKJc-pctv_SuTOJ-xylkBuj_EdM9s7av9UI9uIOKA1zGItczWd-chi5xTqFk-yE2k4wKIjGrf_6KJCDFmEuPPrB_g8W29g/s320/The%20Book%20of%20Cold%20Cases.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><p></p><p><font color="#a64d79">Review: This was certainly a spooky read! But it was an intriguingly spooky one. </font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">I was excited to read this book because of the author. The first book I ever read with Once Upon a Book Club was also by Simone St. James and I enjoyed that one so I figured I would enjoy this one as well. And I certainly was right! </font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">The story is told from two perspectives – Shea’s and Beth’s. We get to see what happened in 1977 while Shea tries to figure it out in 2017. But in both years, St. James deftly creates a creepy atmosphere that hints that there is more going on then meets the eye. It certainly intrigued me – was Beth the Lady Killer? What was happening in her house? And how did it affect all the tragedy that seemed to befall Beth’s family? </font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">Shea also has to come to terms with her own history, including her personal brush with true crime. It has left her with some fears and, along with her recent divorce, caused her to retreat from the world. But Beth’s own isolation and story gives Shea the strength and courage to take the steps she needs to change her own life. </font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">There is some romance in the book but it’s not really a focal point of the book, so I didn’t include it as a genre. But I enjoyed the relationship between Shea and her private investigator Michael. What we got was great and I think worked well with the story. </font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">St. James continues to be a master of using scenery and description. Like the first book of hers I read, she made Beth’s mansion its own character. All the descriptions of it and its surroundings added to the eeriness of Beth’s life and story. Everything was woven well together to create an amazing story. </font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">Bottom line: A haunting mystery that grips you to the end. </font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">Sex: Some mentions but nothing graphic</font></p><p><font color="#a64d79"><strong><u>Moonlight Musing</u></strong></font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">What’s the one story that haunts your town? </font></p><p></p><p></p>Allie Brimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02431579155004073251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8719266189033288281.post-63820669772642944032023-06-02T12:00:00.001-04:002023-06-02T12:00:00.138-04:00“Sisters of the Resistance” by Christine Wells<p><font color="#c27ba0">Title: <em>Sisters of the Resistance</em><br />Author: Christine Wells<br />Publisher: William Morris/HarperCollins<br />Year: 2021<br />Genre(s): historical fiction, romance<br />Part of a Series: No</font></p><p><font color="#c27ba0">Rating: <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFgQUP3RBexnDPdiZXLBxWT0B4pieBm0SrYroj9qTXG_Kyi_zrAp10dBfDeV6yHV32ov5hmyKvFB8_XvXCdaf1LMOR61r4du0ttOrHTeNFX_xKyhQUOndpr5qxRjjLweyuAFZ725icPU9vZDEOmLjT1c-3jvkqc-MBbmJCjj8HpfeQ4ldU4hs1ZWis/s761/five%20moons.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="153" data-original-width="761" height="40" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFgQUP3RBexnDPdiZXLBxWT0B4pieBm0SrYroj9qTXG_Kyi_zrAp10dBfDeV6yHV32ov5hmyKvFB8_XvXCdaf1LMOR61r4du0ttOrHTeNFX_xKyhQUOndpr5qxRjjLweyuAFZ725icPU9vZDEOmLjT1c-3jvkqc-MBbmJCjj8HpfeQ4ldU4hs1ZWis/w200-h40/five%20moons.png" width="200" /></a><br /><br /></font></p><p><font color="#c27ba0">Why I read it: Once Upon a Book Club selection</font></p><p><font color="#c27ba0">Summary: Yvette returns to Paris a few years after the end of World War II and is recruited to be a mannequin for Christian Dior’s new fashion house. But this is not her first time working with the legendary designer – or his sister, Catherine. Yvette and her sister Gabrielle must finally come to terms with what they sacrificed and the risks they took in the final days of the Nazi occupation of Paris while working as part of Catherine Dior’s network of spies. Will they finally be able to move on and find happiness in their lives at last? </font></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJOnplOT0QtD8BFX2nDbMNtfU5kXmIGdBxeUkenNgwlmi3Kc0mTS6OFT41aAns7E3ZoY9BUY9la-Bynnkp70XHmWUTwwqTgxCNeEc2_2J6JkM8GJlvWDDOrPGwM5AV6kROJvmGJczQRixHrVgAJX3jbLJykIdjwvuthHlew3cz1l2Pc4uMLJKIK1iK/s2409/Sisters%20of%20the%20Resistance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2409" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJOnplOT0QtD8BFX2nDbMNtfU5kXmIGdBxeUkenNgwlmi3Kc0mTS6OFT41aAns7E3ZoY9BUY9la-Bynnkp70XHmWUTwwqTgxCNeEc2_2J6JkM8GJlvWDDOrPGwM5AV6kROJvmGJczQRixHrVgAJX3jbLJykIdjwvuthHlew3cz1l2Pc4uMLJKIK1iK/s320/Sisters%20of%20the%20Resistance.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="color: #c27ba0;"><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a></span><p></p>Review: This book may have supplanted <em style="color: #c27ba0;">The Space Between</em><span style="color: #c27ba0;"> as my favorite book of 2023. </span><font style="color: #c27ba0;">Of course, it already had an edge as a historical fiction novel but it certainly lived up to my hopes for it! <font>I only have one quibble – I think I would’ve liked to see more of Yvette being a mannequin for Christian Dior, if just to imagine those beautiful gowns.</font></font><p></p><p><font><font><font color="#c27ba0">But moving on. </font></font></font></p><p><font><font><font><font><font color="#c27ba0">Both Yvette and Gabby were interesting heroines and the story ping-ponged between them expertly. I never felt like Yvette’s story interrupted Gabby’s or vice versa. Instead, both were used to build the entire narrative and form a great story. </font></font></font></font></font></p><p><font><font><font><font><font color="#c27ba0">I would’ve liked more of Catherine Dior. She appears to be a central figure yet is gone for most of the book. But when she was around, she was a very intriguing character who seemed to care for Yvette and Gabby very much. The same for her brother, Christian. I would’ve loved to see more of him as well. But what we got was still good so I’m not listing it as a quibble really – just a preference. </font></font></font></font></font></p><p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font color="#c27ba0">I did also enjoy the romance featured in the book, though I think I was more partial to Gabby’s then Yvette’s. Her romance with Jack was sweet yet had some angst that was intriguing to read, hoping that it would turn out okay for them. Yvette’s romance with Vidar had more twists and turns than he had names. While it was a thrilling romance, I’m not sure if their ending was a good one or not for them. </font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></p><p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font color="#c27ba0">Wells has an engaging style and built an intriguing story along with some good romances. She created characters who felt real and who came to life on the page. I look forward to seeing what other works she creates in the future. </font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></p><p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font color="#c27ba0">Bottom line: A great historical read highlighting the risks and sacrifices taken during World War II</font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></p><p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font color="#c27ba0">Sex: Some mentions, nothing graphic</font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></p><p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font color="#c27ba0"><strong><u>Moonlight Musing</u></strong></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></p><p><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><font><span style="color: #c27ba0;">Do you think you would make a good spy? </span><br /></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p>Allie Brimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02431579155004073251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8719266189033288281.post-62623652892345452032023-05-12T12:00:00.001-04:002023-05-12T12:00:00.349-04:00“The Last Piece” by Imogen Clark<p><font color="#a64d79">Title: <em>The Last Piece</em><br />Author: Imogen Clark<br />Publisher: Lake Union<br />Year: 2020<br />Genre(s): contemporary<br />Part of a Series: No</font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">Rating: <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimCpSu6MDhkEMY_id9UOdW6THZFasEbsYarEYwR7l8VsrdL220gIVMjctzgDFtuEapGeanOVNAAeDx2eRtUE2cszl8ZafTKFMqatSWS0Fzu3hu_8__cy4Gu92ggnfMPC0qo2U2mAmi-haNlJdOYkUAGDr0x6Mk-ERUiCCjbV2NJgReyELk7RrU9OHB/s382/two%20and%20a%20half%20moons.png" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="153" data-original-width="382" height="80" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimCpSu6MDhkEMY_id9UOdW6THZFasEbsYarEYwR7l8VsrdL220gIVMjctzgDFtuEapGeanOVNAAeDx2eRtUE2cszl8ZafTKFMqatSWS0Fzu3hu_8__cy4Gu92ggnfMPC0qo2U2mAmi-haNlJdOYkUAGDr0x6Mk-ERUiCCjbV2NJgReyELk7RrU9OHB/w200-h80/two%20and%20a%20half%20moons.png" width="200" /></a><br /><br /></font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">Why I read it: Once Upon a Book Club pick</font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">Summary: The Nightingale sisters – Felicity, Julia and Lily – are surprised and concerned when their mother mysteriously goes to Greece with no warning. As they try to figure out what’s going, they deal with their own issues. When their mother returns, will everyone be prepared for the reason why she left? Will the truth she needs to share with them change all their lives forever? </font></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO4CntN0F63ehwqIP-BV6RGckE98BLcVsocg3bVKO9OSXguSoKpiIsr3b13TqR87FgPdRHSKQiGU-4Jn5BVLKmKhfCDnsR058FB3Sz1AcVLpSmLWpQ5TSumAKUHranKjirmyrnVWc7HQq0BnUNFpsTnQfkJQmwdyo04j2Nrsu1KomYiD2IyEE-bSsR/s499/The%20Last%20Piece.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="326" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO4CntN0F63ehwqIP-BV6RGckE98BLcVsocg3bVKO9OSXguSoKpiIsr3b13TqR87FgPdRHSKQiGU-4Jn5BVLKmKhfCDnsR058FB3Sz1AcVLpSmLWpQ5TSumAKUHranKjirmyrnVWc7HQq0BnUNFpsTnQfkJQmwdyo04j2Nrsu1KomYiD2IyEE-bSsR/s320/The%20Last%20Piece.jpg" width="209" /></a></div><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><p></p><p><font color="#a64d79">Review: I really debated about that half moon. But I realized it wasn’t completely worth two moons but not really deserving of three. So two and a half it is. </font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">I think Clark created too broad a story and likely would’ve done better had she narrowed it down. Because the parts of the book that shone the most to me was the section where Cecily recounted being a teen mother and giving birth in a special home fpr unwed mothers. It had its own issues – it was filled with more telling than showing and the lack of emotional development were brushed off as Cecily trying to stay emotionally disconnected from what was happening to her. But I think if Clark had allowed herself to focus on that, the story would’ve shone more. </font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">Focusing on Cecily and Marnie may have given more structure to the story as well and given us an actually arc with resolution. Because this might be a spoiler but I will write anyway, but there are no real resolutions in this story at all. </font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">I don’t want this review to be entirely negative but it is hard. There were really only two likeable characters but they barely had an arcs. They never changed and never really had an issues that needed to be resolved. One partially likeable character had something of an arc but again it was rushed. And the other two were just not likeable,which is okay. One, though, again had no resolution to a story and one likely would’ve been better off just as part of the inciting action and not really as involved in the story as she was. </font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">I guess that was my main complaint – it felt like half a story. When it ended, I felt like it needed more – but wasn’t sure I wanted to get it. But this is getting too negative and so I’m just going to end it here. </font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">Bottom line: Too many storylines and not enough resolution. </font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">Sex: Some mentions but nothing graphic. </font></p><p><font><font><font><font color="#a64d79"><strong><u>Moonlight Magic</u></strong></font></font></font></font></p><p><font><font><font><font><span style="color: #a64d79;">Have you ever learned a family secret? </span><br /></font></font></font></font></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p>Allie Brimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02431579155004073251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8719266189033288281.post-69690052443689517272023-04-28T12:00:00.001-04:002023-04-29T18:31:05.299-04:00“The Duchess” by Wendy Holden<p><font color="#a64d79">Title: <em>The Duchess</em> <br />Author: Wendy Holden<br />Publisher: Berkley<br />Year: 2021<br />Genre(s): historical fiction; romance<br />Part of a Series: No</font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">Rating: <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ6w8DY_-0AXoiZOHTcWLkUYdX5V4bSm7hZD82scKyqsT-Iul_QYhHOveZI7CwQabOr311_yNxR4al270ZtRB2C6cB6yt2s_sHKJHJgP3S_9oe6FFyX2BJvvXLxXgrQjZynGkwwV1wSZVJIPI1GzO2PAgwUXubZJ5mi2zaMi4PyJQQMoueb_icsOjk/s761/five%20moons.png" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="153" data-original-width="761" height="40" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ6w8DY_-0AXoiZOHTcWLkUYdX5V4bSm7hZD82scKyqsT-Iul_QYhHOveZI7CwQabOr311_yNxR4al270ZtRB2C6cB6yt2s_sHKJHJgP3S_9oe6FFyX2BJvvXLxXgrQjZynGkwwV1wSZVJIPI1GzO2PAgwUXubZJ5mi2zaMi4PyJQQMoueb_icsOjk/w200-h40/five%20moons.png" width="200" /></a><br /><br /></font></p><p><span style="color: #a64d79;">Why I read it: Once Upon an Advent Calendar gift</span></p><p><font color="#a64d79">Summary: As the Duchess of Windsor prepares to bury her husband alongside the royal family and the Commonwealth, she recalls the story of when she was just Wallis Simpson and dreamed of living the life of the rich and famous. She manages to break into a world she had only glimpsed from the distance and her life changes when she gets an invite to the royal home of Edward, the future king of England. As she forms a friendship with David, as he is known, she has no clue that she will be part of history – or that her name will be linked with scandal and infamy for the rest of her life.</font></p><p><font color="#a64d79"></font></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><font color="#a64d79"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLqPrJzN4cYHYVcIl-_M3zba0Vm3-OLF-S144_zSSnZlF0ao8rYW2SFkeOEkDD1qSVDoJm10-ligYzV3RbwMsyb7AMeX4rdcfB7AQ55U9sfnq1UA8GcYh0tmzHPuMHDUKd4dQjRnmjE5B0zs8Au5Bw9YFUsemOT_AzL0Rjs3QitOPrhDEelAsphgp9/s400/The%20Duchess.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLqPrJzN4cYHYVcIl-_M3zba0Vm3-OLF-S144_zSSnZlF0ao8rYW2SFkeOEkDD1qSVDoJm10-ligYzV3RbwMsyb7AMeX4rdcfB7AQ55U9sfnq1UA8GcYh0tmzHPuMHDUKd4dQjRnmjE5B0zs8Au5Bw9YFUsemOT_AzL0Rjs3QitOPrhDEelAsphgp9/s320/The%20Duchess.jpg" width="214" /></a></font></div><p></p><p><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p><font color="#a64d79">Review: I enjoyed this book and it’s up there with <em>The Space Between</em> as one of my favorites of the year. </font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">Wallis Simpson joins a long line of women wrongly maligned by history and there one can’t help but find some parallels between her and the Duchess of Sussex (besides the fact that they both were divorced Americans). In fact there are some allusions to Meghan Markle, especially at the end when Wallis makes a comment about hoping the family never has to deal with a divorced American again. For decades, Wallis has been painted as a power-hungry woman who schemed to marry England’s Edward VIII and become queen only for him to abdicate, denying her the throne. They ultimately married but they spent the rest of their years fighting for acknowledgement from the royal family – namely for Wallis to be acknowledged as “Her Royal Highness.” </font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">But historians are now working to change her reputation as it grows more apparent that Edward likely used her to escape the monarchy rather than her using him as her ticket to the throne. </font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">And it is that idea this novel explores. </font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">For a little while I hesitated to call this a romance because the relationship between Edward (or David as he was known by those closest to him) and Wallis was pretty toxic. He did come across as manipulative and it seemed that they were too enmeshed with each other very quickly. But I realized that some romances aren’t going to be healthy and those stories needed to be told as well. It was easy to root for David and Wallis in the beginning but not so much by the end. </font></p><p><font><font color="#a64d79">Wallis serves as our narrator and she is a captivating one. She feels like a real person who you could be friends with. She does yearn for a more glamorous life than the one she lives now and does do everything in her power to make it, even if it strains her family’s finances. But she is overall a kind and loving woman with some issues that probably would’ve been straightened out in therapy today but allow her to bond with David – and may have also made her more vulnerable to his manipulations. </font></font></p><p><font><font color="#a64d79">Edward/David is something of an enigma throughout the novel, even once he and Wallis begin their affair. He appears to be a man of contradictions and by the end, you have to wonder if you or Wallis ever really got to know the real Edward at all. There are times he seems to be truly selfless but than is entirely selfish, especially when it comes to Wallis. He claims to love her but ignores her own wishes. As the relationship unfolded, it just did not come across as healthy at all. </font></font></p><p><font><font color="#a64d79">(Edward’s Nazism is also glossed over. There’s a few mentions of Hitler but Edward’s feelings on him are never discussed. He’s painted as a socialist but historical records show that he was attracted to Nazism). </font></font></p><p><font><font color="#a64d79">I do highly recommend this if you love history, the British royal family or are interested in reading about a romance that probably shouldn’t happen. </font></font></p><p><font><font color="#a64d79">Bottom line: A good look at a woman wronged by history even if fiction. </font></font></p><p><font><font color="#a64d79">Sex: Some mentions, nothing too graphic</font></font></p><p><font><font color="#a64d79"><strong><u>Moonlight Musing</u></strong></font></font></p><p><font><font color="#a64d79">Why is history so unfair to women? <br /></font></font></p><p><font color="#ffffff"><br /></font></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p>Allie Brimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02431579155004073251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8719266189033288281.post-27552310054673223872023-04-14T12:00:00.001-04:002023-04-14T21:13:01.572-04:00“Clover Blue” by Eldonna Edwards<p><font color="#a64d79">Title: <i>Clover Blue
</i><br />Author: Eldonna Edwards
<br />Publisher: Kensington Publishing
<br />Year: 2019
<br />Genre(s): coming of age, historical fiction
<br />Part of a Series: No</font></p><font color="#a64d79">
</font><p><font color="#a64d79">Rating: <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxgcRRFwd5LwEFzGOyDTvspdH6Nl4oV7GIfunp3UUhjTiOm-2Jx15Yj1HDlV-S6Zk-i4_xmbxtuGJU3dCTmoTGqy85fRqWwWq6TxOXsabwk2VeCoFqpNdbNvB-NfRq6sKy0QyeaKpYWpOfJ4iaarni1pCY_B61Ub0bmst12I6J0bxaEcNZb7wHzi7l/s541/three%20and%20a%20half%20moons.png" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="153" data-original-width="541" height="56" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxgcRRFwd5LwEFzGOyDTvspdH6Nl4oV7GIfunp3UUhjTiOm-2Jx15Yj1HDlV-S6Zk-i4_xmbxtuGJU3dCTmoTGqy85fRqWwWq6TxOXsabwk2VeCoFqpNdbNvB-NfRq6sKy0QyeaKpYWpOfJ4iaarni1pCY_B61Ub0bmst12I6J0bxaEcNZb7wHzi7l/w200-h56/three%20and%20a%20half%20moons.png" width="200" /></a><br /><br /></font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">Summary: Clover Blue has only known the Saffron Love Community, a commune created by a man known as Goji. Blue has a rather unconventional upbringing and education. But when he learns he was not born to someone at SLC, he wants to learn more about where he came from. Will he get his answers? Who is his real family – the one he was born to or the one that found him? </font></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNNKPt2u3bUHrL1I3xlQnWzVBF9jlg5xiXSmqcBpyjLzLckPxDGyQYEH3ppoutfGfpVoDnKhJerL-3sxMkltIZmA31ub7Xcz6ERbKePtq840IFm37NpDTpHPHxPtab_viyi7aI5f_ZTy3ITqHWbl9hqI9AISQmHIN6bNlyNiDPktLZxTZbPMcmBukc/s400/Clover%20Blue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="266" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNNKPt2u3bUHrL1I3xlQnWzVBF9jlg5xiXSmqcBpyjLzLckPxDGyQYEH3ppoutfGfpVoDnKhJerL-3sxMkltIZmA31ub7Xcz6ERbKePtq840IFm37NpDTpHPHxPtab_viyi7aI5f_ZTy3ITqHWbl9hqI9AISQmHIN6bNlyNiDPktLZxTZbPMcmBukc/s320/Clover%20Blue.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><p></p><p><font color="#a64d79">Review: I recently read something on tumblr from someone who wrote reviews for a living. They wrote about not judging the book you wanted to read but the one you read. </font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">So that’s what I’m going to do.</font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">Focusing on that leaves one quibble of mine so I’m going to focus on that first before moving on. Our story is told from Blue’s perspective –it’s even a first person narrator. The main part of the story following Blue from the ages of 10 to 14. But he never reads as a child. There were times in the story where someone would mention Blue’s age and I would remember that he was a child and not an adult. I’m torn between wondering if this was deliberate on Edwards’ part or just another example of an author not really understanding children. But it was jarring and annoyed me. </font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">I think I might be able to write an entire blog post on my theories about Blue but that will be for another time (and maybe another blog). </font></p><p><font><font color="#a64d79">It stood in stark contract to Harmony, who did come across as a child/teenager. She was one of my favorite characters – carefree, outspoken and not afraid to live her life when compared to the more introspective and reticent Blue. </font></font></p><p><font><font color="#a64d79">Some characters stood out and some blended together. I don’t think I could really tell you what made Jade different from Willow or Sirona. Or Coyote different from Doobie or Wave. They were just there, making up parts of the commune but for a story about family, the actual family wasn’t as defined as they could’ve been. </font></font></p><p><font><font color="#a64d79">But the characters who were defined stood out. In addition to Harmony, there was also her mother Gaia, who popped in and out of the story, as well as Rain and Lois/Lotus. But the central figure was Goji, the “guru” or “leader” of the commune. Throughout the book, he remains a mystery and I believe that was a good choice on Edwards’ part. We wonder what his true intentions are – good or bad – especially when it comes to his relationship with the young Rain. I have my conclusions about Goji and I would be interested to read what others thought of him. </font></font></p><p><font><font color="#a64d79">The author did a good job invoking the 1970s and the world of the Saffron Love Community. She really captured the disconnect between those living on the commune and maintaining the more hippie lifestyle with the world that had advanced around them, leaving them behind. I do think Blue could’ve interacted with this outside world more and let the contrast stand out more but it did show how much he truly believed in Goji’s teachings that he kept himself apart from it. </font></font></p><p><font><font color="#a64d79">Bottom line: A good coming of age story that needed just a bit more in its main character and narrator. </font></font></p><p><font><font color="#a64d79">Sex: Mentions but nothing too graphic</font></font></p><p><font color="#a64d79"><strong><u>Moonlight Musing</u></strong></font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">Would you give up modern conveniences to live a more natural lifestyle?</font></p>Allie Brimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02431579155004073251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8719266189033288281.post-10173811465809806772023-03-31T12:00:00.001-04:002023-03-31T12:00:00.219-04:00“The Space Between” by Dete Meserve<p><font color="#a64d79">Title: <em>The Space Between</em><br />Author: Dete Meserve<br />Publisher: Lake Union<br />Year: 2018<br />Genre(s): mystery, romance<br />Part of a Series: No</font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">Rating: <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBl2t5dkoBFqSDGoGAYPS7vGl0nBT8lr9ngmFDE3Zb1qa0lGiefKRQW_D6EegpE6X0xy4UWacb4pLwNC3aeVRmY_DKO7SaDuGlzxAPxDVAGpElDv7BD4FGANN_50TmhnsXO2HCmXwVF8hvqhQH0oKnNLpsxbrwfEyUo6kS9TGmb7WLNRI4dTBNMf-W/s692/four%20and%20a%20half%20moons.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="153" data-original-width="692" height="71" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBl2t5dkoBFqSDGoGAYPS7vGl0nBT8lr9ngmFDE3Zb1qa0lGiefKRQW_D6EegpE6X0xy4UWacb4pLwNC3aeVRmY_DKO7SaDuGlzxAPxDVAGpElDv7BD4FGANN_50TmhnsXO2HCmXwVF8hvqhQH0oKnNLpsxbrwfEyUo6kS9TGmb7WLNRI4dTBNMf-W/s320/four%20and%20a%20half%20moons.png" width="320" /></a><br /><br /></font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">Why I read it: Once Upon a Book Club selection</font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">Summary: After presenting the biggest discovery of her career to NASA, Sarah returns to find that her husband Ben is missing. The authorities search for him but also suspect him of a murder which may be why he is missing. Sarah has to sort through the jumble of evidence left behind to determine what happened to her husband, if he is innocent – and if their marriage can be saved. </font></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHwdtd4vynZdISkEboJVFATb71E1YlJxUCCvXD1-6Dd3sK5hXPtO1oBuClAm0WqpocKHTgrSJokv0CxUzk9GwHTrchsSyxPAzpfQE4u_qu5QqMys2gfUi8Fw-0vRk1FAZneRK34Obo4wbI1gg396CGhlNHzPskyBC_9sQJom2ciJZd74lGYWul9F9W/s2475/The%20Space%20Between.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2475" data-original-width="1650" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHwdtd4vynZdISkEboJVFATb71E1YlJxUCCvXD1-6Dd3sK5hXPtO1oBuClAm0WqpocKHTgrSJokv0CxUzk9GwHTrchsSyxPAzpfQE4u_qu5QqMys2gfUi8Fw-0vRk1FAZneRK34Obo4wbI1gg396CGhlNHzPskyBC_9sQJom2ciJZd74lGYWul9F9W/s320/The%20Space%20Between.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><p></p><p><font color="#a64d79">Review: So far, I think this is my favorite book of 2023. </font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">The story drew me in from the beginning. Some stories need to slow down and focus on exposition before really jumping into the action but this was a case where the action needed to happen immediately. Unraveling the mystery required us to slowly learn more about Sarah, Ben and their relationship. So I like how and where in the story it started. </font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">I do wish we had gotten more flashbacks to show the dynamic between Sarah and Ben to really illustrate why Sarah thought they were “broken’ before the story started. It felt a little more like we were told rather than shown but it didn’t really detract from the story or romance overall. </font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">I like the way Meserve builds the mystery. At first, everything seems normal except for the fact that Ben hasn’t come home. Then Sarah realizes things are out of place and not normal, giving her more clues to what happened. it feels natural and more realistic – clues and facts are going to be revealed slowly, especially when there are players who benefit more from withholding the truth than telling it. We piece together the mystery along with Sarah and it really draws the reader in. And I would say it was done much better than <em>The Woman in the Window</em>. </font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">Meserve also built the romance between Sarah and Ben the same way as well. We learned more about them and even though Sarah feels drawn to someone else, the readers can tell that she is meant to be with Ben. It is a beautiful romance about a marriage that can be saved – it just needs a chance. </font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">And I loved rooting for them to get that chance. </font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">Bottom line: A good romance wrapped around a great mystery. </font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">Sex: Some mentions but nothing too graphic</font></p><p><font color="#a64d79"><strong><u>Moonlight Musing</u></strong></font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">If someone you loved went missing, what would you do to find them?</font></p><p></p>Allie Brimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02431579155004073251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8719266189033288281.post-69490609871219443182023-03-17T12:00:00.001-04:002023-03-17T12:00:00.222-04:00“Circus of Wonders” by Elizabeth Macneal<p><font color="#a64d79">Title: <em>Circus of Wonders</em> <br />Author: Elizabeth Macneal<br />Publisher: Atria<br />Year: 2022<br />Genre(s): historical fiction<br />Part of a Series: No</font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">Rating: <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikxQliPz1lT7fxZEdfSjBNF31emXI0CXO2C8h7ylSytv3Ny2LpHvtUDRjTDKQmzPCmzsl7FpHCRoJeVyZYBqNcMTnIW8Pz5QtEfQ_43pGCN9qbSrxlJVAapWh2ifcZ979f2ZRa2ukE90_XeMyzytG-7k0hwCW-zfW2FQBBmNUPRYAO60yx1tVtwfn1/s456/three%20moons.png" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="153" data-original-width="456" height="67" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikxQliPz1lT7fxZEdfSjBNF31emXI0CXO2C8h7ylSytv3Ny2LpHvtUDRjTDKQmzPCmzsl7FpHCRoJeVyZYBqNcMTnIW8Pz5QtEfQ_43pGCN9qbSrxlJVAapWh2ifcZ979f2ZRa2ukE90_XeMyzytG-7k0hwCW-zfW2FQBBmNUPRYAO60yx1tVtwfn1/w200-h67/three%20moons.png" width="200" /></a><br /><br /></font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">Why I read it: Once Upon a Book Club selection</font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">Summary: In the Victorian era, circuses filled with oddities and “freaks” are all the rage. Jasper Jupiter runs one such circus with the help of his brother, Toby. When Nellie is sold to him by her father, Jasper transforms her into a star. Nellie’s fame soon grows and Jasper feels he’s on the verge of achieving his greatest dreams. But when Nellie’s star starts to eclipse his own and his own brother starts to fall for her, will Jasper’s ego be their downfall? </font></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOIYHpkm2sao2zteb69I3ATNwjJOhW-nuD2-c7Zj27zT7ZvPa_2t2D1pCtgOagk3fIsA87DOHsKaAedUZvlUNETtxAWaIgwZ7ZLiIZErngSfn-bprXUSC59wNWYBoG31FUFBjenzLeVqWMYbHhXlQQMhvNDP5iENdP00I7mYw68uuWOvlQ5KwFaXWQ/s2125/Circus%20of%20Wonders.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2125" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOIYHpkm2sao2zteb69I3ATNwjJOhW-nuD2-c7Zj27zT7ZvPa_2t2D1pCtgOagk3fIsA87DOHsKaAedUZvlUNETtxAWaIgwZ7ZLiIZErngSfn-bprXUSC59wNWYBoG31FUFBjenzLeVqWMYbHhXlQQMhvNDP5iENdP00I7mYw68uuWOvlQ5KwFaXWQ/s320/Circus%20of%20Wonders.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><span style="color: #a64d79;"><span><a name='more'></a></span><p>Review: I really wanted to like this book more than I did but I just couldn’t.</p></span><p></p><p><font color="#a64d79">Ultimately, I think the changing narrators really held the plot back. Especially as Macneal seemed to determined to keep rotating between them so that when someone’s plot really started to heat up, we had to cut away to another character’s plot. The book was already divided into parts – why couldn’t there have just been one continuous narrator for each section instead? </font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">Or as I thought while reading it – maybe it’s time for third person omniscient to return as a narrator style? </font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">The book summary on the jacket also made it seem like a romance but I really couldn’t even call it a secondary genre. Nell’s romance with Toby doesn’t propel the story forward. And really, it’s not very well developed. We just seem to be told that they are having a romance but it seems more like Toby is infatuated with Nell and she’s using him for sex. I never really felt much of a connection between either of them. </font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">The parts about Nell gaining more confidence and friendships in the circus are wonderful. I think if the entire book had been about that, it would’ve been worthy of another star. Maybe even five stars, depending on how much more of an active character Nell was. Because she really only became active towards the end and by then, the story was pretty much over. </font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">Honestly, I felt this was more Toby’s story than Nell’s. He has an arc that starts to give him independence from his brother and to almost escape their rather toxic codependency. And he needs to make peace with his past, which he starts to do during the story. I think I was most interested in his plot than anyone else’s. </font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">As for the history, this felt very well-researched and incorporated some real life people such as Queen Victoria. But all the members of Jasper’s circus are fictional but based on real people who were in the circus. It shows the duality of how they could forge a life for their own based on the circus but how they were grossly mistreated as well. I think if Macneal focused more on that as well and maybe showed Nell dealing with that more directly, the story would’ve had a lot more depth. </font></p><p><font><font color="#a64d79">Bottom line: A good story that never really lived up to its potential.</font></font></p><p><font><font color="#a64d79">Sex: Some with some details. </font></font></p><p><font><font color="#a64d79"><strong><u>Moonlight Musing</u></strong></font></font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">Did you ever dream of running away to join the circus?</font></p><p><font color="#ffffff"><font color="#ffffff"><br /></font></font></p><p></p><p></p><p></p>Allie Brimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02431579155004073251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8719266189033288281.post-46367316510156906262023-03-03T12:00:00.001-05:002023-03-03T12:00:00.226-05:00“Wildland” by Rebecca Hodge<p><font color="#c27ba0">Title: <em>Wildland</em><br />Author: Rebecca Hodge<br />Publisher: Crooked Lane<br />Year: 2020<br />Genre(s): contemporary<br />Part of a Series: No</font></p><p><font color="#c27ba0">Rating: <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimIIzIEwcep6Gd_KZ0yJtfgBseVdnTUZkxHpTi4ythv0kagPYOPmTKW6SQPbZwvY1heK4aHMZiUsp-8Pir_nmmIdvS1qkjJqQnk4R43WSbIE-sTV8aaAN-YYvo_pJCzOQZCjtogj2OR-dJXOuN1GkN4Lm-6Fe5oFOT1DBbvU8CDoWkT5rjrVN0trcl/s692/four%20and%20a%20half%20moons.png" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="153" data-original-width="692" height="44" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimIIzIEwcep6Gd_KZ0yJtfgBseVdnTUZkxHpTi4ythv0kagPYOPmTKW6SQPbZwvY1heK4aHMZiUsp-8Pir_nmmIdvS1qkjJqQnk4R43WSbIE-sTV8aaAN-YYvo_pJCzOQZCjtogj2OR-dJXOuN1GkN4Lm-6Fe5oFOT1DBbvU8CDoWkT5rjrVN0trcl/w200-h44/four%20and%20a%20half%20moons.png" width="200" /></a><br /><br /></font></p><p><font color="#c27ba0">Why I read it: Once Upon a Book Club pick.</font></p><p><font color="#c27ba0">Summary: After receiving life-changing news, Kat retreats to a mountain retreat she once visited with her late husband as she considers her decision. Her daughter, Sara, gives her mother a rescue dog to take care of and Kat also befriends her closest neighbors – military and security contractor Malcom and his son Nirav and IT professional Scott and his daughter Lily. They also rescue a puppy as well and Kat gives him a home. But the area has been experiencing a severe drought and a electrical storm soon puts them all in danger. Will Kat manage to rescue the children, the dogs and more importantly, herself? </font></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj8GiQxmwIQCQJ7vXx9kw_erKBkmSTdURRyY-Lo4wIifK45sVfMwrP3JdYt7VWBOyHTTPgjurYXG7B7kyvggSe279fWsRuuPwW6MafpGARD0Z131eOPXkbyW4yoUPmplmr_1RKRUgqj1icLlTP1bUmx0RAsvelxDo3SGTk-76VnO36JIGT3fkpB36_/s475/Wildland.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="318" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj8GiQxmwIQCQJ7vXx9kw_erKBkmSTdURRyY-Lo4wIifK45sVfMwrP3JdYt7VWBOyHTTPgjurYXG7B7kyvggSe279fWsRuuPwW6MafpGARD0Z131eOPXkbyW4yoUPmplmr_1RKRUgqj1icLlTP1bUmx0RAsvelxDo3SGTk-76VnO36JIGT3fkpB36_/s320/Wildland.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><p><font color="#c27ba0">Review: I did something with this book I almost never do. </font></p><p><font color="#c27ba0">I spoiled myself. </font></p><p><font color="#c27ba0">As I noted in the summary, there are dogs featured prominently in the story. And I just didn’t have the emotional capacity to handle something bad happening to one or both of the dogs. So I will break my no spoiler rule to reveal that the dogs are fine. You can read the book without worrying about that. </font></p><p><font color="#c27ba0">I don’t mind spoiling you because I found that spoiling myself didn’t affect the suspense or tension in the book at all. Even though I knew the outcome, I still wanted to know how the characters reached it. Hodge did a wonderful creating the sense of urgency that permeated the book after the fire started. The story kept me on the edge of my seat and I was eager to see how everything worked out in the end. </font></p><p><font color="#c27ba0">Hodge also handled multiple narrators well. Switching between Kat and Malcolm helped build their stories and provide a full picture of everything that was happening. And she never once sacrificed tension by doing that. Especially since both narrators were experiencing the same amount of tension and urgency though for different reasons. I got absorbed in both parts and give kudos to Hodge for that. </font></p><p><font color="#c27ba0">Her characters also felt real and relatable. I commend Hodge for writing realistic children. Some writers can forget what is age appropriate and either make children too adult or too young. But Lily felt like an almost teenager who gets shuttled between her mother and her father, the latter who is a workaholic who hasn’t really noticed his daughter has grown up so is still trying to do things she liked when she was younger. And Nirav is clearly a child who has had past trauma and is slowly opening up now that he has been adopted by Malcolm. He bonds quickly with Kat and Lily, showing that he just wants a family – even if it’s a found one. </font></p><p><font color="#c27ba0">Hodge also has a descriptive style that allowed the scenery to come to life. I could picture the scene from the helicopter as they hovered over the areas they believed Kat and the children could be. I could also imagine the forest as Kat and the children tried to stay ahead of the fire. I could see the wildfire. It helped draw me further into the story and ante up the tension. </font></p><p><font color="#c27ba0">Bottom line: A good and ultimately uplifting read. </font></p><p><font color="#c27ba0">Sex: None. </font></p><p><font color="#c27ba0"><strong><u>Moonlight Musing</u></strong></font></p><p><font><span style="color: #c27ba0;">Do you think you could survive a wildfire? </span><font color="#ffffff" style="color: white;"> <br /></font></font></p><p></p><p></p><p></p>Allie Brimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02431579155004073251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8719266189033288281.post-58431220452789442592023-02-17T12:00:00.001-05:002023-02-19T06:06:39.270-05:00“We Are Not Like Them” by Christine Pride and Jo Piazza<p><font color="#a64d79">Title: <i>We Are Not Like Them </i><br />Author: Christine Pride and Jo Piazza<br />Publisher: Atria Books<br />Year: 2021<br />Genre(s): contemporary<br />Part of a Series: No</font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">Rating: <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3x-LfVITkCQ4z7FffyJx8ZH86ieoUjXRetzqjvPDbRmVlPjxEuq5QzVCk_9n4WOjqwoxp1nOvTiYP2wXiyUkADZD6Wa_ufS_ucHyaNPI3kS2FropRGq70nnC9N_2nlOCg4er9mXOotsLMu-SGb1eW0_L6aRyt_j-VnEra1mfgP03dzJcx3bLDiCUH/s456/three%20moons.png" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="153" data-original-width="456" height="67" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3x-LfVITkCQ4z7FffyJx8ZH86ieoUjXRetzqjvPDbRmVlPjxEuq5QzVCk_9n4WOjqwoxp1nOvTiYP2wXiyUkADZD6Wa_ufS_ucHyaNPI3kS2FropRGq70nnC9N_2nlOCg4er9mXOotsLMu-SGb1eW0_L6aRyt_j-VnEra1mfgP03dzJcx3bLDiCUH/w200-h67/three%20moons.png" width="200" /></a><br /><br /></font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">Summary: The book follows the aftermath of a police-involved shooting of a black teenager. Riley WIlson is the Black reporter covering the story for her TV station. Jen Murphy is the white woman married to one of the cops involved. The two women have been friends since childhood but this tragedy threatens to tear them apart as they both come to terms with racism and how it affects them as people and as friends. </font></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFzcs8p8y_Hbb8Y4GBPZR9ofsJBJM2w6EutY1lis8yeB4yQwZ5Q8G7oRHpAOwCAEyGDVGBcHrUw3YXqA_As_PDvXiBXDe68JD0YA0mFA9YIftv_efnLx9pG4FhhhB3DSWWyHon77VpQERkPYFURk459pwyDs1p6BnpFY4zRNqOtBun_67cz6T_OL2o/s475/We%20Are%20Not%20Like%20Them.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="315" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFzcs8p8y_Hbb8Y4GBPZR9ofsJBJM2w6EutY1lis8yeB4yQwZ5Q8G7oRHpAOwCAEyGDVGBcHrUw3YXqA_As_PDvXiBXDe68JD0YA0mFA9YIftv_efnLx9pG4FhhhB3DSWWyHon77VpQERkPYFURk459pwyDs1p6BnpFY4zRNqOtBun_67cz6T_OL2o/s320/We%20Are%20Not%20Like%20Them.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><p><font color="#a64d79">Review: I wanted to like this book more and struggled to figure out why I didn’t. About three-quarters of the way through, it finally dawned on me: I just didn’t care if Riley and Jen remained friends or not. I just didn’t.</font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">And that kept me from really enjoying the book. </font></p><p></p><p><font color="#a64d79">The main problem, I believe, is that the action starts too soon. Many authors now try to spread out the exposition over the course of the story but I think we needed to get to know Riley and Jen as friends before this grenade was thrown between them. That way readers can connect with them more since after the first few chapters, they spend most of the book not really talking to each other and avoiding each other. It also would give more weight to everyone telling Riley to work things out with Jen. </font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">I also really didn’t like Jen and didn’t feel she really learned anything as a character. Perhaps she’s a “realistic” character – someone who doesn’t think she has “privilege” because she’s faced adversity in her life, none of which involved the color of her skin - but as a reader, I like to feel like my characters have learned something. And I don’t think she did. She seemed like a perpetual victim of her circumstances rather than really taking a stand and taking charge of her life. </font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">I was far more invested in Riley’s story and enjoyed it immensely. I do think she went on a journey but I’m not sure the destination written for her was really where I felt that journey was going. But she at least started to let herself be emotional and imperfect, accepting herself for who she was rather than who she believed she needed to be. And she did finally learn how to express herself as well, which was good to see. </font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">But the heart is the question of race and how it impacts all of us – whether we realize it or not. As the country confronts racism again following the murder of Tyre Nichols in Memphis, I would recommend this book no matter the color of your skin. </font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">Bottom line: A good premise with a timely message if you ignore the central relationship</font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">Sex: Yes, some descriptions but nothing too erotic. </font></p><p><font color="#a64d79"><strong><u>Moonlight Musing</u></strong></font></p><p><font color="#a64d79">No question but a challenge – find a course about implicit bias and learn more about yours. </font></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p>Allie Brimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02431579155004073251noreply@blogger.com0