The Last Letter From Your Lover by Jojo Moyes
This author is becoming a favorite. Everything I have read by her has been wonderful, and this was no different. I will say that it felt a little slow to start, but that may have just been me and my ongoing reading slump.
Two-thirds of this book is about Jennifer, a wealthy, British housewife who meets and falls in love with a reporter named Anthony. At the beginning of the book, Jennifer has been in an automobile accident and has lost some of her memories, including her memories of Anthony. Her husband, Laurence, just hopes she forgets him entirely, but then she finds a letter from her lover. And another, and another. Once she is finally able to piece together who he is, she is told that he is dead, but that is because Laurence is an ass and wants her to stay with him.
Jennifer finally learns that Anthony didn't die, and finds him four years later. They have an amazing afternoon together, when Anthony asks her to leave her husband, but because she has a child, she doesn't feel like she can. Anthony takes off for the Congo, and Jennifer leaves her husband to try to track Anthony down. She never finds him.
The letters Anthony wrote to Jennifer after her accident are somehow left in a file in the newspaper offices. In 2003, some forty years afterward, Ellie finds them and looks to find who they belong to. Ellie, as it turns out, is the other woman. Her boyfriend is cheating on his wife with her, so these letters ring home to her in some way. She does everything she can to piece everything together.
This was a sweet read, and one I needed right now.
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Thursday, August 29, 2019
When Good Therapists Go Bad
Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
Last year sometime, I read The Wife Between Us by the same authors and was enthralled. When I saw they had a new book out, I knew I would have to read it. I have been in a reading slump for months now, so I was unsure I would actually get this read in the time allotted to me by Overdrive, but I did. Holy cow was this an edge of your seat read!
Jessica is in her late 20s, and is a makeup artist in New York City. Her family, including her disabled sister, is in Pennsylvania. There never seems to be enough money to do what needs to be done, so when Jessica hears of a chance to make a relatively easy $500, she does it. All she has to do is participate in a study about morality. Seems simple enough, right?
This probably would have been easy, but the doctor/professor conducting the study is taken with Jessica, and wants to do a more personalized study with her. This includes having Jessica put herself in situations where she has to flirt with men, or arrange dates with them, all because her own husband cheated on her. The good doctor, Dr. Shields pays well, but will it be worth it?
I know I have said this before, but this one is hard to write about. It would be too easy to give away so much of the plot. All you need to know is that you won't want to put this down, and that Dr. Shields is seriously f&^%$#@ up. Don't walk--RUN to get this one. You won't regret it.
Last year sometime, I read The Wife Between Us by the same authors and was enthralled. When I saw they had a new book out, I knew I would have to read it. I have been in a reading slump for months now, so I was unsure I would actually get this read in the time allotted to me by Overdrive, but I did. Holy cow was this an edge of your seat read!
Jessica is in her late 20s, and is a makeup artist in New York City. Her family, including her disabled sister, is in Pennsylvania. There never seems to be enough money to do what needs to be done, so when Jessica hears of a chance to make a relatively easy $500, she does it. All she has to do is participate in a study about morality. Seems simple enough, right?
This probably would have been easy, but the doctor/professor conducting the study is taken with Jessica, and wants to do a more personalized study with her. This includes having Jessica put herself in situations where she has to flirt with men, or arrange dates with them, all because her own husband cheated on her. The good doctor, Dr. Shields pays well, but will it be worth it?
I know I have said this before, but this one is hard to write about. It would be too easy to give away so much of the plot. All you need to know is that you won't want to put this down, and that Dr. Shields is seriously f&^%$#@ up. Don't walk--RUN to get this one. You won't regret it.
Saturday, August 24, 2019
Stories of the Marsh Girl
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
At the beginning of the book, Kya is a young girl. Her mother just up and leaves one day, never to come back. Then so do all of Kya's siblings. For a bit, Kya's father is around, but he is a drunk and abusive, so she'd be better off without him there. One day he leaves too, and Kya is all alone. Until Tate shows up, that is.
Kya lives in the marsh on the edge of town, and has only been to school one day in her entire life. She can't read, but she knows the marsh creatures as well as she knows herself. Tate is a few years older, and teaches Kya how to read. He also teaches her what it is to love someone, until he breaks a promise to her.
Then along comes Chase. Chase is the town golden boy, and he likes Kya. He keeps making promises to her, promises he has no intention of keeping, just so he can have her the way that he wants her.
One day, Chase turns up dead, and everyone thinks Kya did it. She has to go on trial for her freedom. Did she kill Chase?
What I liked about this was the way it went back and forth in time. I also liked the vivid imagery the author used. This book was mesmerizing.
At the beginning of the book, Kya is a young girl. Her mother just up and leaves one day, never to come back. Then so do all of Kya's siblings. For a bit, Kya's father is around, but he is a drunk and abusive, so she'd be better off without him there. One day he leaves too, and Kya is all alone. Until Tate shows up, that is.
Kya lives in the marsh on the edge of town, and has only been to school one day in her entire life. She can't read, but she knows the marsh creatures as well as she knows herself. Tate is a few years older, and teaches Kya how to read. He also teaches her what it is to love someone, until he breaks a promise to her.
Then along comes Chase. Chase is the town golden boy, and he likes Kya. He keeps making promises to her, promises he has no intention of keeping, just so he can have her the way that he wants her.
One day, Chase turns up dead, and everyone thinks Kya did it. She has to go on trial for her freedom. Did she kill Chase?
What I liked about this was the way it went back and forth in time. I also liked the vivid imagery the author used. This book was mesmerizing.
Monday, July 29, 2019
Not as Great as His Other Books
Layover by David Bell
It's no secret that I have loved Bell's work since I first discovered him a few years ago, but this one was not quite as good as all of his others.
It starts out in the Atlanta airport (which is where my own traveling debacle started while I was reading this). Joshua travels a lot for work, despite the anxiety that traveling by air gives him. While waiting in line to buy a book, he runs into Morgan, who intrigues him from the start. They end up going to a bar before their flights, and hit it off. Morgan gives him the kiss of his life before telling him he'll never see her again. This prompts him to change flights so that he can be with her and get to know her better. But, when he sees her on the plane, she denies knowing him.
Josh doesn't know what to make of this, but when he lands, he sees a news report for a missing person, and that missing person is Morgan. What ensues is a game of cat and mouse that involves theft and murder.
I don't know if this didn't hold my attention because the story was lacking something, or if it is because I read the first half during a series of flights to Europe and the last half on flights home a week later or what, but this just didn't grab me and hold on like all of his other books did.
It's no secret that I have loved Bell's work since I first discovered him a few years ago, but this one was not quite as good as all of his others.
It starts out in the Atlanta airport (which is where my own traveling debacle started while I was reading this). Joshua travels a lot for work, despite the anxiety that traveling by air gives him. While waiting in line to buy a book, he runs into Morgan, who intrigues him from the start. They end up going to a bar before their flights, and hit it off. Morgan gives him the kiss of his life before telling him he'll never see her again. This prompts him to change flights so that he can be with her and get to know her better. But, when he sees her on the plane, she denies knowing him.
Josh doesn't know what to make of this, but when he lands, he sees a news report for a missing person, and that missing person is Morgan. What ensues is a game of cat and mouse that involves theft and murder.
I don't know if this didn't hold my attention because the story was lacking something, or if it is because I read the first half during a series of flights to Europe and the last half on flights home a week later or what, but this just didn't grab me and hold on like all of his other books did.
Tuesday, July 9, 2019
Pretty Bois
Pretty Bois Have Sad Lives by Nicolas Serrano
As a teacher, I have to fulfill 30 hours of professional development every calendar year. Twelve of those hours I tend to get during the summer so that I can get all of my school holidays off. This past Monday, I went to PD, and the author of this book, who is a teacher in my district, was one of the presenters. He was told he should plug his book, and I am all about supporting people in my community, so I bought the book.
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed by how short it is--only 38 pages--but I enjoyed the book, so I can't complain too much. Since I am still in a reading slump (and my impending divorce isn't helping with that either), it was nice to read something short to feel like I completed something.
Like most of the popular books of "poetry" these days, this is reminiscent of the author's life experiences. The poetry is relatable and deep, but my favorite part of the book was the introduction. What I got from this is: 1. I hope Serrano writes more of this and 2. I hope to get to see more of his work inside the classroom.
***This didn't get published when it was supposed to. This is from June 2019.***
As a teacher, I have to fulfill 30 hours of professional development every calendar year. Twelve of those hours I tend to get during the summer so that I can get all of my school holidays off. This past Monday, I went to PD, and the author of this book, who is a teacher in my district, was one of the presenters. He was told he should plug his book, and I am all about supporting people in my community, so I bought the book.
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed by how short it is--only 38 pages--but I enjoyed the book, so I can't complain too much. Since I am still in a reading slump (and my impending divorce isn't helping with that either), it was nice to read something short to feel like I completed something.
Like most of the popular books of "poetry" these days, this is reminiscent of the author's life experiences. The poetry is relatable and deep, but my favorite part of the book was the introduction. What I got from this is: 1. I hope Serrano writes more of this and 2. I hope to get to see more of his work inside the classroom.
***This didn't get published when it was supposed to. This is from June 2019.***
Two Decades Later, A Companion
Shout by Laurie Halse Anderson
When I was in grad school getting my MLS, I had to read Speak. I liked it. Earlier this year, I read the graphic novel of Speak. I like both. When I heard that Ms. Anderson was publishing a follow up to that book, I knew I would read it. It's rare, in my experience, for an author to write a memoir about their own sexual assault experiences after writing a hugely successful fictional book over the same topic. In fact, the only other author I can think of who has done so (and that I read both the fiction book and the memoir) was Alice Sebold. Being a victim myself, I find myself drawn to these books to see if the way I handled things is "normal." There is no "normal," by the way.
This book is in three parts. The first part is Anderson's background, her history. The second, is her response to sexual assault in general, rather than her specific experience. It also deals with people's response to her books, and people who have come to her with their own stories. The last is a way to tie up some loose ends. It's all written in free verse, which makes this a fairly quick read. I loved how open and honest Anderson was in these pages.
I liked this enough that I will likely buy a physical copy for the shelves of my classroom, and encourage students to read it.
When I was in grad school getting my MLS, I had to read Speak. I liked it. Earlier this year, I read the graphic novel of Speak. I like both. When I heard that Ms. Anderson was publishing a follow up to that book, I knew I would read it. It's rare, in my experience, for an author to write a memoir about their own sexual assault experiences after writing a hugely successful fictional book over the same topic. In fact, the only other author I can think of who has done so (and that I read both the fiction book and the memoir) was Alice Sebold. Being a victim myself, I find myself drawn to these books to see if the way I handled things is "normal." There is no "normal," by the way.
This book is in three parts. The first part is Anderson's background, her history. The second, is her response to sexual assault in general, rather than her specific experience. It also deals with people's response to her books, and people who have come to her with their own stories. The last is a way to tie up some loose ends. It's all written in free verse, which makes this a fairly quick read. I loved how open and honest Anderson was in these pages.
I liked this enough that I will likely buy a physical copy for the shelves of my classroom, and encourage students to read it.
Monday, May 27, 2019
Revisiting Some Recent Stories
Angry Management by Chris Crutcher
This book is made up of three novellas that are related to prior novels and short stories by this author, all related because they are part of Mr. Nak's Angry Management Class, which we first learned of in Ironman.
The first novella involves Angus Bethune from a short story in Athletic Shorts and Sarah Byrnes from Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes. They become friends, go to Reno, and learn the truth about Sarah's mother. I read this novella before I finished the book that Sarah Byrnes is part of, which was both a blessing and a curse. I knew Sarah was going to be ok, but I ruined it for myself.
The second novella is about a young lady named Montana who takes on the school board in her town, the president of which is her adoptive father. I am not familiar with the story or book she comes from, but I want to know more about her.
The last novella reunites readers with Mr. Simet from Whale Talk, and Matt Miller, a minor character from Deadline. They are connected by a young man named Marcus James who is a gay, black high school student in a town where there might be five black people. Needless to say, this is a racially charged and heartbreaking story.
On the whole, I enjoyed this book. I am finding that I really enjoy anything that Chris Crutcher has written, and I hope he keeps it up.
This book is made up of three novellas that are related to prior novels and short stories by this author, all related because they are part of Mr. Nak's Angry Management Class, which we first learned of in Ironman.
The first novella involves Angus Bethune from a short story in Athletic Shorts and Sarah Byrnes from Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes. They become friends, go to Reno, and learn the truth about Sarah's mother. I read this novella before I finished the book that Sarah Byrnes is part of, which was both a blessing and a curse. I knew Sarah was going to be ok, but I ruined it for myself.
The second novella is about a young lady named Montana who takes on the school board in her town, the president of which is her adoptive father. I am not familiar with the story or book she comes from, but I want to know more about her.
The last novella reunites readers with Mr. Simet from Whale Talk, and Matt Miller, a minor character from Deadline. They are connected by a young man named Marcus James who is a gay, black high school student in a town where there might be five black people. Needless to say, this is a racially charged and heartbreaking story.
On the whole, I enjoyed this book. I am finding that I really enjoy anything that Chris Crutcher has written, and I hope he keeps it up.
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