Reading for Me

The Books I Have Read…..Just for Me

Dec 31

#34: Five Winters (Kitty Johnson)

by kennithfreeman

To bring 2022 to a close, I finished my first ebook on the Kindle that I received for Christmas. I’ve not been incredibly interested in getting a digital reader since I spend so much of my day reading music from my iPad. I wasn’t sure how this gift was going to work out at all. So I just purchased the first inexpensive book that I thought I could handle to give it a fair shake.

That’s the best thing I can say about Five Winters. It wasn’t horrible. It wasn’t great. It was okay and a decent companion to actually beginning to read A Tale of Two Cities this week as well. The Dickens is going to take me a little longer to plow through for sure. Johnson’s novel was a nice diversion at the end of a long day.

ebook fiction romance

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Dec 28

#33: Mad Honey (Jodi Picoult & Jennifer Finney Boylan)

by kennithfreeman

I have been a fan of Jodi Picoult’s writing for a very long time. I think I first discovered her work one summer while on break from Pepperdine and stumbled upon Keeping Faith. I’ve been a fan of her work ever since and (I think) I have read every word she has published. So it should be no surprise that I carved out time to read her latest novel and that I thoroughly enjoyed it. What shocked me is how absorbed and invested I was in the story of these characters and how I found myself questioning my own stances and opinions about important issues facing our world today.

Mad Honey is a story of developing love between two teens, Lily and Asher. At the end of the first chapter of this gripping tale, the reader learns that Lily was found dead at the base of the stairs in her home by Asher. Lily has only been living in New England for a few months; Asher is a star hockey player with dreams of playing at the collegiate level. Asher is the son of Olivia, a bee keeper who returned to her family farm after leaving her abusive husband. Since Olivia left the abuse when her son was rather young, she is uncertain how much Asher actually remembers about the situation. Does he carry emotional scars from what he witnessed? Does Asher carry the same rage and violence that he observed in his father? Olivia is desperate to contain the secret of her past and hopes to never discover the answer to her questions about Asher.

Lily’s body carries secrets as well. Her long sleeves and hair scrunchies attempt to hide the deep scars along her wrists. Lily arrives in town with very little history that she is willing to share. The only thing that is certain is that she is a talented musician and she is deeply in love with Asher. The question still lingers — what could have led to the scars that suggest an attempt to end her life? What other secrets lie at the core of this lovely young woman?

Asher is quickly accused of Lily’s murder despite his protests that he did nothing wrong. As the trial proceeds, hidden truths about both Lily and Asher are revealed. Mad Honey is a beautifully written tale that will keep the reader engaged to the final page while forcing them to examine their personal biases and prejudices against those who are “different.” Do yourself a favor. RUN to the bookstore and pick up your personal copy of this amazing book. Read it for pleasure initially; allow yourself time to think carefully and honestly about the issues that it raises for you. Personally, I plan to return to this book again in 2023 to see what other treasures it holds that I missed on my first journey through its pages.

Lastly, there are several topics that may trigger readers: domestic violence, suicide, bullying, transphobia, and rape. While I did not find any of the scenes excessively graphic, I feel it is my responsibility to warn readers of their presence.

Thank you, Jodi and Jennifer. You have touched my heart and life in ways you might have never imagined.

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Dec 22

#32: The Long Call (Ann Cleeves)

by kennithfreeman

This novel wins one of my personal awards for 2022 — THE ABSOLUTE WORST READ OF THE YEAR! If you see it on the bargain table of your favorite bookstore as I did, RUN — don’t walk past it — RUN AWAY! Do not waste your time on this horrible book. It took me 15 days to force myself through the book after a couple of thoughts to just put the book down. I kept hoping that the plot and writing would improve and wanted to give Cleeves the opportunity to change my opinion. It didn’t happen.

The Long Call opens with a murdered man on the beach of a quiet area of the English coast. When you think the novel is going to focus on this mysterious death, the plot takes a turn to focus on the women of a local day center that serves both the general community and adults with special needs, specifically those with Down’s Syndrome. The cast of characters were two-dimensional and challenging to distinguish. The “mystery” is convoluted and confusing. Add to this the role of a religious group that is not adequately explored to give it real significance and you have a recipe for a very bad book.

In case I’ve not made it clear, I absolutely HATED this book — not something I say very often — and don’t plan to read anything else by this author. My reading time is far too valuable to waste on another poorly written book.

mystery

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Dec 7

#31: Love on the Brain (Ali Hazelwood)

by kennithfreeman

Sometimes, the Book of the Month Club offers options that I normally would not pick up to read. However, the premise sounds interesting and I find myself reading a palette cleanser. Despite my recent visits to Bridgerton, the romantic premise of Love on the Brain was not what I normally go for. After a slow start that found me struggling to connect with the characters, I was soon laughing out loud and rooting for this unusual cast to find love.

Bee is a neuroscientist who has sworn off of relationships. Her parents died when she was young resulting in she and her sister bouncing around between relatives in cities around the world. In graduate school, she was engaged to Tim – – but he ultimately left Bee at the altar for her best friend. As her professional career appears to be in the toilet, Bee is elated when she learns that she has the opportunity to co-lead a NASA project. There’s just one problem….Bee’s co-leader will be Levi, the sarcastic, egotistical man that made life in her graduate studies a living hell. How can this all work? Can two mortal enemies actually find a way to put the past behind them for the success of the project?

Love on the Brain combines scientific concepts and Twitter for a hilarious romp that brings the unlikeliest of couples together. From Bee’s quirky appearance to the quiet and extremely handsome Levi, sparks are flying. Toss in a bit of NASA lab espionage and you have the formula for a really fun read. Additionally, the commentary on the importance of family, the need for stability, and the role of standardized tests in graduate school admission (I kid you not!) keeps the book from getting too sappy. Am I surprised that I enjoyed this read as much as I did? Absolutely. Do I think I’ll check out what else Ali Hazelwood has written? Definitely. It was just too fun of a read to ignore the possibility that there might be something more to take in.

Book of the Month fiction romance

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Dec 5

#30: Romancing Mister Bridgerton (Julia Quinn)

by kennithfreeman

It should come as no shock to any of my regular readers that I picked up the fourth installment of the Bridgerton series last week and thoroughly enjoyed it. Now that Lady Whistledown’s identity has been revealed and she has retired from her writing, I wonder what impact this event will have upon the remainder of the series. Her witty insights and commentary was one of the things that I most enjoyed about these novels.

Romancing Mister Bridgerton continues the exploration of love in a non-traditional way. This time, the differences that must be overcome are a matter of physical appearances. The homely wallflower, Penelope, has been in love with the debonair charmer, Colin, for as long as she can remember. Does Colin even know that she has loved him? Penelope fully thinks that she will spend the rest of her life as a lonely spinster.

A few things to notice right away about this installment in the series. First, the book is a bit longer than the others in the series. The writing, however, is still excellent and worth the investment. Quinn’s commentary on the art of writing and the power of words are not to be missed. Second, this novel has more open-door intimacy; little is left to the imagination. At first, I was shocked by this choice, but I quickly came to understand why the author would make the change. It was important for the reader to see how much Colin ultimately comes to desire Penelope physically. If the audience doesn’t see the level of intimacy, there can be a question if this is a relationship of pity or convenience rather than love.

Bridgerton has been good to me this year and I’ve enjoyed the trips. However, I am going to delay my return to the series until the New Year. Typically, I find myself needing a break from the characters and writing style about halfway through a series. I’m not bored with Quinn’s plot or character development at all; I just want to make sure that I am not lulled into a sense of complacency due to familiarity. There is too much good writing in Bridgerton that I don’t want to miss a single turn of phrase.

fiction romance Series

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Dec 2

#29: The Paper Girl of Paris (Jordyn Taylor)

by kennithfreeman

I love reading historical fiction. There’s just something magical about mixing fictional characters with real events. Ever since reading Number the Stars, I have had a special place in my heart for works for young readers that address the horrors of World War II. When I stumbled upon The Paper Girl of Paris on a recent trip to the bookstore, I knew that I had found an exciting read that was going to move me. I was right in my assessment.

The Paper Girl of Paris tells the story of Alice and Adalyn. Alice is a 16-year-old girl who has just inherited a Paris apartment from her grandmother. When Alice and her parents arrive to check out the unusual gift, they find that the space is much as it was when the family left in the height of World War II. While exploring the apartment for information about her grandmother, Alice stumbles upon the diary of her grandmother’s sister, Adalyn. While she is initially intrigued by the discovery of another relative, Alice’s feelings change when she discovers a photograph of Adalyn enjoying drinks with Nazi invaders. Was Adalyn a supporter of the Nazis in Paris? Did she betray her own family who ultimately left everything behind to avoid the Nazis?

A thrilling story about the the French Resistance and the importance of family, The Paper Girl of Paris will be an exciting read for any history lover and a great introduction to the major issues of World War II for any young reader. I highly recommend it!

fiction historical teen Young Adult

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