This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger

My Rating: 4 Stars

Here’s why!

This book was my September 2019 Book of the Month selection and was feeling it for a Fall read this month! It reminded me of a modern Huck Finn, which is how Krueger describes it himself, and it’s funny that I was drawn to this book because I didn’t like Huck Finn when I read it in high school! (haha) But I definitely liked this book a lot more!

This Tender Land takes place during the Great Depression and follows a band of orphans – or “Vagabonds” as one of the characters likes to describe them – and their journey of leaving their boarding school in southern Minnesota to St. Louis, Missouri and all the adventures they have along the way!

***

This book surprised me in a good way. Originally, I was drawn to the “feel” of Krueger’s writing style, not necessarily the plot, but the sweet cast of characters won my heart.

Odie, Albert, Mose, and Emmy are a rambunctious group of kiddos. The people they meet, the stories told, the situations they get themselves into – and out of – is what makes this novel memorable and captivating. Krueger approached these different elements using real people and real-life living conditions/situations as the base for the world his characters reside, which is definitely noticeable.

I am giving this book 4 out of 5 Stars because of Krueger’s writing, the characters, and reflective nature of the novel. This book definitely reminds me of Huck Finn aka a piece of classic literature. It has this nostalgic feel to it that I can’t describe any other way. Like I said earlier, I didn’t like Huck Finn that much (no offense Mark Twain! haha) but I really enjoyed this modern telling of his story.

This book was nominated for Book of the Year and I can’t wait to see if it made it to the finals because this book deserves recognition! Get your copy today!

HAPPY READING 🙂

 

Genre: Historical Fiction/Fiction

 

My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing

My Rating: 4 Stars

Here’s why!

This book is another one that had a lot of hype surrounding it, but to me it sounded too similar to For Better and Worse by Margot Hunt; however, it definitely has its own story to tell.

My Lovely Wife – simply put – is about a couple who murders people. But there’s more to the story that gets revealed as their lives slowly begin to unravel before their eyes.

***

I could’ve given more details about the characters in this novel in the synopsis, but sometimes keeping it short and sweet – and to the point – is all you need to know if you are intrigued or not.

I really liked the writing by Downing. She drew me in from chapter one and gave the reader a twist right away which hooked me even more. I thought she had pretty relatable characters, even if what they like to do in their free time is a bit “unconventional.” Also, the last half had some interesting and unexpected plot points revealed, which I love in a thriller, but for a good chunk of the novel, I kept thinking “this is too good to be true.”

I am giving this novel 4 out of 5 Stars because although there was a lot of creativity in the storyline, good characters, and it was an easy read, I felt like the very end was a cop out and was the part that reminded me of For Better and Worse the most. So in a way, Downing did had some really unique plot points, but she also had some that felt like something I had read before or a “standard” element found in a thriller novel.

Check out My Lovely Wife today if you enjoy twists, romance, and drama in your books, with a bit of murder thrown in!

HAPPY READING 🙂

 

Genre: Mystery/Thriller/Suspense/Fiction

Cilka’s Journey (The Tattooist of Auschwitz, #2) by Heather Morris

 

My Rating: 5 Stars

Here’s why!

I was SOOO excited to see that Heather Morris had another story to tell. The fact that her novels are based on true stories with real people and real historic accounts of their lives makes them even more endearing and emotional!

Cilka’s Journey follows the life of Cecilia “Cilka” Klein after she was liberated from Auschwitz-Birkenau at 18 years old. Freedom from the Nazis? Yes. But freedom from her “crimes” committed at the camp? No. Cilka is sent to Siberia, to a town called Vorkuta, by the Soviet Union, sentenced to spend 15 years at the work camp there.

Trying to make the best of her situation – and the reason why she is there under wraps – Cilka befriends different people in Vorkuta, which opens up opportunities for her to not only touch the lives of the women she lives with, but others at the work camp as well.

***

When I first got this book from the library, all I knew was that it was the second book to the Tattooist and that’s about it! I had no clue that it was about Cilka’s life post-Auschwitz so I was take aback right from the start.

I love the way Morris writes and she has an amazing talent of making “nonfiction” feel like fiction in a beautiful, honoring way. She really values the people she is writing about and wants to do their stories justice.

I am giving this novel 5 out of 5 Stars for the storytelling and honorable way Morris handled Cilka Klein’s story. The amount of research that went into getting her story told as accurately as possible deserves to be noted. She isn’t just focused on writing a good novel. She is focused on writing a real person’s story as best as she can and bringing it to life for the reader.

Firstly, if you haven’t read The Tattooist of Auschwitz, pick up a copy of that book and then dive into Cilka’s Journey!

HAPPY READING 🙂

 

Genre: Historical Fiction/Fiction/World War II/Holocaust/War/Romance

Ninth House (Alex Stern, #1) by Leigh Bardugo

My Rating: 5 Stars

Here’s why!

This book has been on my radar for a while and honestly, I was skeptical. I’ve never been a fan of “following the trend” because I like to be “ahead of the trend” and read books before they get popular, but I decided to see what all the hype was about.

Ninth House is the first book in a series about a girl named Galaxy “Alex” Stern. Raised by a hippie mom on the West Coast, and caught up in the drug scene, Alex finds herself at rock bottom: the sole survivor of a multiple homicide. While recovering, she is given an opportunity of a lifetime: to attend Yale on a full ride scholarship. But why her? What’s the catch?

When Alex arrives at Yale, the purpose and reason for her being there is uncovered as she must work for a secret society that monitors other secret societies that use “magic” to affect the world around them. But these occult practices can be more sinister and dangerous than she could have ever imagined, and Alex is caught up in another whirlwind of events that puts her life, and the lives of others, at risk.

***

Now before you shut it down and say “Occult? No thank you,” hang with me!! The way that Bardugo has crafted this underground “secret” world is genius. There is a lot to take in as you are getting familiarized with the societies and the style/feel of her writing, but once you do, you are sucked in! I have not read Bardugo before, although she has quite a few very successful Young Adult novels. As this is her first Adult novel, I could see the ways she tried to make it more adult, but kept some of the best parts of YA as well. It was a beautiful blend of the two genres in my opinion.

I am giving Ninth House 5 out of 5 Stars,  but was only going to do 4 out of 5 until I read the last 40 pages. This book had turn after turn that kept me wanting more. Good thing she left it open-ended for the next book!

Overall, if I could describe Ninth House I would say that it is “a murder mystery in the midst of a fantasy fiction” novel. Great characters, great over-arcing plot, great twists, great use of magic, and definitely deserving of the hype it is receiving.

Pick up a copy for yourself today!

HAPPY READING 🙂

 

Genre: Fantasy/Fiction/Mystery/Contemporary

The Chain by Adrian McKinty

My Rating: 3 Stars

Here’s why!

I first became aware of this book when my sister and I were talking about books that have movie contracts. I was intrigued by the premise and was over the moon when I found it at my local library!

The Chain is about a kidnapping; but it’s not a typical “child-kidnapped-and-parents-have-to-save-them-and-solve-where-they-are” story. The reason your child has been kidnapped is because the people responsible have a child who has also been kidnapped, and the only way their child will be released is if you follow their instructions. First, pay a sum to a discreet account. Second, kidnap a child yourself within the next 24 hours to continue “the chain.” Your child will be released as soon as the parents of the child you kidnapped have also followed the instructions.

And third, no police.

No telling anyone what has happened.

Or your child will be killed.

***

This plot is so interesting to me! I cannot wait too see it brought to life on the big screen. As this is my first book by McKinty, I wasn’t sure what to expect writing wise, but I was definitely drawn in. His style flows effortlessly, especially when you have a captivating plot like this one, and I can tell he was really considerate of the reader’s experience.

So if I liked the plot a lot and really enjoyed the writing, why only 3 out of 5 Stars?

I think the biggest thing for me was that the twists at the end didn’t come as a shock, but I don’t think McKinty meant them to be. You get a few different perspectives/narrators and because of this, one of the big twists can be figured out pretty easily if you’re paying attention. Another reason is that the main climax (or what I thought would be the main climax) of this storyline resolves within the first half of the novel, which led me to ask, “What else is going to happen? What else can happen?” I appreciated where McKinty did decide to go with the rest of the novel, but I would have never thought that’s where the novel would go when I first approached it.

Overall, a pretty interesting read and I would recommend reading it, especially before the movie is released!

HAPPY READING 🙂

 

Genre: Mystery/Thriller/Crime/Fiction