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jessica42980's reviews
629 reviews
Separate Lives by Kathryn Flett
2.0
All my reviews can be found out: http://jessicasreadingroom.com
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The premise of the book made me want to read Separate Lives. Unfortunately, I got a different book than I was expecting.
I think I was expecting a ‘fight to save your relationship’ kind of book. Separate Lives was very different from that kind of book. I do like books with multiple narrators, as you get multiple points of view to get the whole story. The three narrators are Susie, Alex and P. Susie’s narration was a ‘standard’ type of narration, Alex’s narration was through emails, and the ‘Mysterious P’s narration is through letters to her mother (P turns out to be Pippa, this is not a secret as we quickly find out who ‘P’ is).
Issues I had with the book:
-All three of the protagonists were not likable. I did not really care what happened to them. Yes, Susie discovers the text, but there is something going on with her. I can’t say what without spoilers.
- There were a few twists that were supposed to shock you but my reaction to them was just the opposite. This must have been because I was not attached to the characters.
-Susie and Pippa’s narrations tended to drag on and mentioned things that were not relevant to the story. I found myself scanning through parts of both of their narrations. This happened more with Susie than Pippa, and some of the things Pippa would say in her letters to her mom I would not even say to my mom!
Towards the end of Separate Lives I did start to like Pippa a small amount. The last few chapters of the book did pick up for me. In the end of the book, that original text has so much more meaning that it did at the beginning of Separate Lives. I know some books are not for everyone and unfortunately Separate Lives was not for me.
I received a copy of Separate Lives from NetGalley.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The premise of the book made me want to read Separate Lives. Unfortunately, I got a different book than I was expecting.
I think I was expecting a ‘fight to save your relationship’ kind of book. Separate Lives was very different from that kind of book. I do like books with multiple narrators, as you get multiple points of view to get the whole story. The three narrators are Susie, Alex and P. Susie’s narration was a ‘standard’ type of narration, Alex’s narration was through emails, and the ‘Mysterious P’s narration is through letters to her mother (P turns out to be Pippa, this is not a secret as we quickly find out who ‘P’ is).
Issues I had with the book:
-All three of the protagonists were not likable. I did not really care what happened to them. Yes, Susie discovers the text, but there is something going on with her. I can’t say what without spoilers.
- There were a few twists that were supposed to shock you but my reaction to them was just the opposite. This must have been because I was not attached to the characters.
-Susie and Pippa’s narrations tended to drag on and mentioned things that were not relevant to the story. I found myself scanning through parts of both of their narrations. This happened more with Susie than Pippa, and some of the things Pippa would say in her letters to her mom I would not even say to my mom!
Towards the end of Separate Lives I did start to like Pippa a small amount. The last few chapters of the book did pick up for me. In the end of the book, that original text has so much more meaning that it did at the beginning of Separate Lives. I know some books are not for everyone and unfortunately Separate Lives was not for me.
I received a copy of Separate Lives from NetGalley.
His Kidnapper's Shoes by Maggie James
4.0
His Kidnapper’s Shoes is told from two alternating points of view: The kidnapper (Laura) and the victim (Daniel). I always enjoy books written this way. My Kidnapper’s Shoes begins with Laura already in jail. We go on a journey with both Laura and Daniel seeing what both of their lives are like.
We learn about Laura’s past from childhood to adulthood. She did not have an easy life. For me this does not excuse what she did by kidnapping Daniel, but surprisingly I found myself understanding her through her story and I also felt empathy for her. As you read His Kidnapper’s Shoes you can see that she is a damaged woman and has mental issues. You would think that Maggie James would have some kind of experience working with the mentally ill with the way that Laura is described.
Daniel also did not have an easy life. He fell victim as a child in another way other than being kidnapped. I can not say how without a spoiler, which I will not do. His childhood affected him and in some ways turned him into the person he became. He would have been a very different person if he had not been kidnapped. We can see how one decision (the kidnapping) affected so many lives in negative ways.
Maggie James does a superb job putting us in Laura’s and Daniel’s thoughts. We can see a very disturbed woman and a troubled young man. You can see the descent Laura has leading up to her kidnapping Daniel. We also see how troubled Daniel is. We see and understand his anger and frustration at the loss of what his life should have been compared to what it actually was.
Maggie James covers some issues that could be disturbing to some readers. There is the difficult subject matter of a kidnapping, but then there are some other issues including sexual abuse, rape, and multiple sexual partners including same sex partners. There is also language in the novel as well. This is mentioned as a disclaimer fort those that may not want to read a book with these type of subjects.
There are more characters in the novel than Laura and Daniel. There is also Daniel’s stepfather, his birth parents and grandparents, his nanny, Daniel’s girlfriend Katie, and Annie, a bartender. They all become important in various ways in the novel.
His Kidnapper’s Shoes deals with many things, but a big one is forgiveness. Can Daniel recover from what happened to him as a child and will be be able to forgive Laura for kidnapping him?
I enjoyed His Kidnapper’s Shoes. Her writing is well written. I wasn’t in suspense with the novel, so I can not rate it 5 stars, but it is a very close 4.5 stars. I will read more by Maggie James in the future.
His Kidnapper’s Shoes is recommended!
Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy!
We learn about Laura’s past from childhood to adulthood. She did not have an easy life. For me this does not excuse what she did by kidnapping Daniel, but surprisingly I found myself understanding her through her story and I also felt empathy for her. As you read His Kidnapper’s Shoes you can see that she is a damaged woman and has mental issues. You would think that Maggie James would have some kind of experience working with the mentally ill with the way that Laura is described.
Daniel also did not have an easy life. He fell victim as a child in another way other than being kidnapped. I can not say how without a spoiler, which I will not do. His childhood affected him and in some ways turned him into the person he became. He would have been a very different person if he had not been kidnapped. We can see how one decision (the kidnapping) affected so many lives in negative ways.
Maggie James does a superb job putting us in Laura’s and Daniel’s thoughts. We can see a very disturbed woman and a troubled young man. You can see the descent Laura has leading up to her kidnapping Daniel. We also see how troubled Daniel is. We see and understand his anger and frustration at the loss of what his life should have been compared to what it actually was.
Maggie James covers some issues that could be disturbing to some readers. There is the difficult subject matter of a kidnapping, but then there are some other issues including sexual abuse, rape, and multiple sexual partners including same sex partners. There is also language in the novel as well. This is mentioned as a disclaimer fort those that may not want to read a book with these type of subjects.
There are more characters in the novel than Laura and Daniel. There is also Daniel’s stepfather, his birth parents and grandparents, his nanny, Daniel’s girlfriend Katie, and Annie, a bartender. They all become important in various ways in the novel.
His Kidnapper’s Shoes deals with many things, but a big one is forgiveness. Can Daniel recover from what happened to him as a child and will be be able to forgive Laura for kidnapping him?
I enjoyed His Kidnapper’s Shoes. Her writing is well written. I wasn’t in suspense with the novel, so I can not rate it 5 stars, but it is a very close 4.5 stars. I will read more by Maggie James in the future.
His Kidnapper’s Shoes is recommended!
Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy!
The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey
5.0
My husband and I saw the movie trailer for The Girl with all the Gifts and after watching it we both want to see the movie and I also wanted to read the book. I was able to get the audiobook from my local library. If you have not seen the trailer for the movie or know anything about Girl with all the Gifts then this will be a spoiler for you: This is a zombie book. Like Raising Stony Mayhall, The Girl with all the Gifts is a different take on zombies I read that book several years ago and loved it. I also enjoyed The Girl with all the Gifts.
This is a tough book to review without revealing spoilers. It is also a thought provoking and character driven book. The premise of the book is intriguing and the first act of the book is brilliant. Melanie and her classmates are in school, but they are not just children. They are zombies, or ‘hungries’ as they are called in the post-apocalyptic United Kingdom. But they are also all special: for some reason they still have their mental abilities and have some control of themselves unless they get too close to ‘normal’ humans. Then they revert back to no mental awareness and only focus on one thing: Hunger.
The military base they are all on is attacked by hungries and junkers( uninfected humans who are scavengers and very dangerous). From here Melanie, her teacher, a scientist, and two military personnel end up traveling together as a group. The book does slow some, but we get points of view from all the characters involved in the book. There is zombie violence throughout the book.
I did listen to this in audiobook format and the narrator had a British accent, which works well, since the book takes place in the UK. At times I did have to move the CD track back some to listen again because I know I missed something. I will plan to read this book at some point.
You can’t help but get attached to Melanie. I had no idea what was going to happen to our group. Will they survive or will they all fall victim in some way? A particular character makes a decision that leads to a shocking ending, and this causes the reader to reflect on the entire book.
I give The Girl with all the Gifts 5 stars. I also look forward to seeing the movie. Knowing that M.R. Carey wrote the screenplay and kept the ending faithful to the book is even more exciting.
The Girl with all the Gifts is recommended.
This is a tough book to review without revealing spoilers. It is also a thought provoking and character driven book. The premise of the book is intriguing and the first act of the book is brilliant. Melanie and her classmates are in school, but they are not just children. They are zombies, or ‘hungries’ as they are called in the post-apocalyptic United Kingdom. But they are also all special: for some reason they still have their mental abilities and have some control of themselves unless they get too close to ‘normal’ humans. Then they revert back to no mental awareness and only focus on one thing: Hunger.
The military base they are all on is attacked by hungries and junkers( uninfected humans who are scavengers and very dangerous). From here Melanie, her teacher, a scientist, and two military personnel end up traveling together as a group. The book does slow some, but we get points of view from all the characters involved in the book. There is zombie violence throughout the book.
I did listen to this in audiobook format and the narrator had a British accent, which works well, since the book takes place in the UK. At times I did have to move the CD track back some to listen again because I know I missed something. I will plan to read this book at some point.
You can’t help but get attached to Melanie. I had no idea what was going to happen to our group. Will they survive or will they all fall victim in some way? A particular character makes a decision that leads to a shocking ending, and this causes the reader to reflect on the entire book.
I give The Girl with all the Gifts 5 stars. I also look forward to seeing the movie. Knowing that M.R. Carey wrote the screenplay and kept the ending faithful to the book is even more exciting.
The Girl with all the Gifts is recommended.
The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett by Chelsea Sedoti
2.0
All my reviews can be found at: http://jessicasreadingroom.com
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Hawthorn is a high school senior loner and I personally pictured her dressed like a goth. Hawthorn is misunderstood like goths can be in that kind of life. She pretends things do not bother her, or that she doesn’t care about things when she actually does. One day Lizzie Lovett disappears. She is three years older than Hawthorn, was the popular teenager when she was in high school, and her older brother had dated Lizzie briefly.
Everyone at school comes up with their own theories as to what happened to Lizzie, including Hawthorn. She also beings to immerse herself in Lizzie’s life which includes getting a job where Lizzie works and beginning to hang out with Lizzie’s boyfriend. Hawthorn does this so much it becomes an obsession. I found it odd, especially since Hawthorn barely knew Lizzie. I couldn’t help but wonder why she was doing this. At some times, it seemed like she wanted to become Lizzie.
As you read in the book description above, Hawthorn’s theory about Lizzie is described as ‘absurd’. It truly is absurd, much to the detriment of the book, especially for a book in the YA (Young Adult) contemporary genre. Hawthorn seemingly believes her theory and word about her theory gets around town.
The only reason I kept reading The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett was that I really wanted to know what happened to Lizzie. I did not have any kind of attachment to Lizzie. We do find out the answer to what happened to her. Once we find out what happened, the book and Hawthorn take a different turn. The last 13% of the book deals with an important issue for teenagers. If only the rest of the book was like the last 13%. That last 13% held my attention more than the other 87%.
I can not recommend The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett.
I received an arc copy from NetGalley.
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Hawthorn is a high school senior loner and I personally pictured her dressed like a goth. Hawthorn is misunderstood like goths can be in that kind of life. She pretends things do not bother her, or that she doesn’t care about things when she actually does. One day Lizzie Lovett disappears. She is three years older than Hawthorn, was the popular teenager when she was in high school, and her older brother had dated Lizzie briefly.
Everyone at school comes up with their own theories as to what happened to Lizzie, including Hawthorn. She also beings to immerse herself in Lizzie’s life which includes getting a job where Lizzie works and beginning to hang out with Lizzie’s boyfriend. Hawthorn does this so much it becomes an obsession. I found it odd, especially since Hawthorn barely knew Lizzie. I couldn’t help but wonder why she was doing this. At some times, it seemed like she wanted to become Lizzie.
As you read in the book description above, Hawthorn’s theory about Lizzie is described as ‘absurd’. It truly is absurd, much to the detriment of the book, especially for a book in the YA (Young Adult) contemporary genre. Hawthorn seemingly believes her theory and word about her theory gets around town.
The only reason I kept reading The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett was that I really wanted to know what happened to Lizzie. I did not have any kind of attachment to Lizzie. We do find out the answer to what happened to her. Once we find out what happened, the book and Hawthorn take a different turn. The last 13% of the book deals with an important issue for teenagers. If only the rest of the book was like the last 13%. That last 13% held my attention more than the other 87%.
I can not recommend The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett.
I received an arc copy from NetGalley.
Room by Emma Donoghue
5.0
All my reviews can be found out: http://jessicasreadingroom.com
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I first listened to Room on audiobook just over three years ago. I decided that I want to watch the movie relatively soon, so I decided to listen to Room again so the book would be fresh in my memory.
Emma Donoghue takes a difficult subject matter (a kidnapping situation and rape multiple times) and gives us the book Room from the perspective of five year old Jack. This is a unique and original concept.
Jack has just celebrated his fifth birthday. All he has ever known in his life is Room, Ma, and Old Nick. Room is where Ma and Jack live. Ma has lived here for seven years after being kidnapped by Old Nick. Jack is the product of Ma being raped by Old Nick. Room is all that Jack knows. They do have a tv, and Jack believes that the rest of the world exists only on television. Ma does not tell him otherwise.
You can see how Jack experiences everything in Room and his curiosity about various things that all children become curious about. You can feel Ma’s frustrations with their living situation and her hatred of Old Nick. Later on in the book, Old Nick informs Ma of a change in his living situation and Ma begins a plan to get her and Jack out of Room. There is a lot more to the book after Ma starts to plan their escape, but I won’t go into it in case you don’t know details about the book.
I really can not recommend this book enough! I think the book being from Jack’s perspective makes it easier to read. It would have been a very different book if it had come from Ma’s perspective. That would be an interesting book to read. Some authors have done that lately: rewrite their books from a different characters point of view. If Emma Donoghue ever chose to do that with Room, I would read it.
Audiobook Review:
I have listened to Room on audiobook twice now. It is superb! There are multiple narrators for Room and I find that makes it easier to listen to a book than a single narrator doing all the voices and changing their voice for the various characters. Changing their voice for multiple characters can be well done or not. I have heard both kinds of audiobooks. It really can affect your enjoyment of a book.
The narrator for Jack is Michal Friedman and she is brilliant! She voices Jack perfectly. She portrays the innocence, wonder, curiosity, and all the feelings that a five year old would express in this situation.
If I decide to read Room again in the future it will be the audiobook again. I can’t imagine ‘reading’ it another way. The audiobook is perfect!
If you listen to audiobooks and have not read Room yet, get a copy from your local library or on Audible. If you don’t really listen to audiobooks and are thinking about reading Room, give the audiobook a try!
Bonus PDF:
The audiobook I had of Room included a disc with a bonus PDF. The PDF is ‘Jack’s drawings’ of Room. It gives you a perspective of how tiny the room that Jack and Ma lived in for his whole life and her for seven years. I am definitely looking forward to watching the movie now to see how it is interpreted onto the screen!
**If you do get the audiobook on cd, there are nine discs. I thought the ninth disc was just a bonus disc and I wondered why the book stopped suddenly at the end of the eighth disc. It was not over. The ninth disc does have more of the book on it. I’m guessing I didn’t realize this three years ago when I listened to it the first time.
Room on audiobook is 100% recommended!
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I first listened to Room on audiobook just over three years ago. I decided that I want to watch the movie relatively soon, so I decided to listen to Room again so the book would be fresh in my memory.
Emma Donoghue takes a difficult subject matter (a kidnapping situation and rape multiple times) and gives us the book Room from the perspective of five year old Jack. This is a unique and original concept.
Jack has just celebrated his fifth birthday. All he has ever known in his life is Room, Ma, and Old Nick. Room is where Ma and Jack live. Ma has lived here for seven years after being kidnapped by Old Nick. Jack is the product of Ma being raped by Old Nick. Room is all that Jack knows. They do have a tv, and Jack believes that the rest of the world exists only on television. Ma does not tell him otherwise.
You can see how Jack experiences everything in Room and his curiosity about various things that all children become curious about. You can feel Ma’s frustrations with their living situation and her hatred of Old Nick. Later on in the book, Old Nick informs Ma of a change in his living situation and Ma begins a plan to get her and Jack out of Room. There is a lot more to the book after Ma starts to plan their escape, but I won’t go into it in case you don’t know details about the book.
I really can not recommend this book enough! I think the book being from Jack’s perspective makes it easier to read. It would have been a very different book if it had come from Ma’s perspective. That would be an interesting book to read. Some authors have done that lately: rewrite their books from a different characters point of view. If Emma Donoghue ever chose to do that with Room, I would read it.
Audiobook Review:
I have listened to Room on audiobook twice now. It is superb! There are multiple narrators for Room and I find that makes it easier to listen to a book than a single narrator doing all the voices and changing their voice for the various characters. Changing their voice for multiple characters can be well done or not. I have heard both kinds of audiobooks. It really can affect your enjoyment of a book.
The narrator for Jack is Michal Friedman and she is brilliant! She voices Jack perfectly. She portrays the innocence, wonder, curiosity, and all the feelings that a five year old would express in this situation.
If I decide to read Room again in the future it will be the audiobook again. I can’t imagine ‘reading’ it another way. The audiobook is perfect!
If you listen to audiobooks and have not read Room yet, get a copy from your local library or on Audible. If you don’t really listen to audiobooks and are thinking about reading Room, give the audiobook a try!
Bonus PDF:
The audiobook I had of Room included a disc with a bonus PDF. The PDF is ‘Jack’s drawings’ of Room. It gives you a perspective of how tiny the room that Jack and Ma lived in for his whole life and her for seven years. I am definitely looking forward to watching the movie now to see how it is interpreted onto the screen!
**If you do get the audiobook on cd, there are nine discs. I thought the ninth disc was just a bonus disc and I wondered why the book stopped suddenly at the end of the eighth disc. It was not over. The ninth disc does have more of the book on it. I’m guessing I didn’t realize this three years ago when I listened to it the first time.
Room on audiobook is 100% recommended!
In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware
2.0
All my reviews can be found out: http://jessicasreadingroom.com
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Leonora (Lee/Nora- I will reference her as Nora in this review) is a 26 year old crime writer. One day she gets an email inviting her to a Hen (bachelorette) party for her old friend Clare. She hasn’t seen Clare in ten years and wonders why she was even invited to the party since it has been so long since they have seen each other and when she wasn’t even invited to the wedding. After debating with herself she decides to attend. ( I would wonder the same thing. Why would someone I haven’t talked to in ten years invite me to her party? More than likely I would not go. ) Things go horribly wrong at the party and forty-eight hours later she awakens at the hospital. She has no memory of what happened but overhears a conversation and knows someone is dead. Nora becomes determined to find out what happened and who is dead?
The book goes back and forth from the hospital and the hen party. While at the party, Nora discovers who Clare is marrying and I will not say who he is, but whom the groom is goes back to issues they had in their teen years. The small group has several adventures leading up to the tragic evening.
This is yet another book with an unreliable narrator. At least the narrator is not an alcoholic, she just has amnesia. As she begins to remember that evening, you can’t help but wonder are these memories accurate, or is Nora the murderer?
The beginning pulled me in, but in the end it just wasn’t for me. Things that happened in her teen years are still affecting Nora and she kept focusing on it in the book. I can say I did not predict the ending of the book. I was a little shocked with the ending and the killer’s motive. The killer’s motive was a bit juvenile in itself.
I have read much better mysteries and worse mysteries. I would say skip In a Dark, Dark Wood and read Ruth Ware’s second book, The Woman in Cabin 10 which I awarded four stars. The protagonist in Cabin 10 is also unreliable, but it is a much superior book than Dark, Dark Wood is.
I do look forward to reading more from Ruth Ware.
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Leonora (Lee/Nora- I will reference her as Nora in this review) is a 26 year old crime writer. One day she gets an email inviting her to a Hen (bachelorette) party for her old friend Clare. She hasn’t seen Clare in ten years and wonders why she was even invited to the party since it has been so long since they have seen each other and when she wasn’t even invited to the wedding. After debating with herself she decides to attend. ( I would wonder the same thing. Why would someone I haven’t talked to in ten years invite me to her party? More than likely I would not go. ) Things go horribly wrong at the party and forty-eight hours later she awakens at the hospital. She has no memory of what happened but overhears a conversation and knows someone is dead. Nora becomes determined to find out what happened and who is dead?
The book goes back and forth from the hospital and the hen party. While at the party, Nora discovers who Clare is marrying and I will not say who he is, but whom the groom is goes back to issues they had in their teen years. The small group has several adventures leading up to the tragic evening.
This is yet another book with an unreliable narrator. At least the narrator is not an alcoholic, she just has amnesia. As she begins to remember that evening, you can’t help but wonder are these memories accurate, or is Nora the murderer?
The beginning pulled me in, but in the end it just wasn’t for me. Things that happened in her teen years are still affecting Nora and she kept focusing on it in the book. I can say I did not predict the ending of the book. I was a little shocked with the ending and the killer’s motive. The killer’s motive was a bit juvenile in itself.
I have read much better mysteries and worse mysteries. I would say skip In a Dark, Dark Wood and read Ruth Ware’s second book, The Woman in Cabin 10 which I awarded four stars. The protagonist in Cabin 10 is also unreliable, but it is a much superior book than Dark, Dark Wood is.
I do look forward to reading more from Ruth Ware.
The Second First Time by Elisa Lorello
3.0
All my reviews can be found at: http://jessicasreadingroom.com
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Jonathan and Sage are best friends who both happen to be authors and share the same publisher. After Jonathan’s marriage falls apart, they decide to take a road trip to see what could possibly happen. This doesn’t work out, the road trip does not happen and Sage ends up with a broken heart. They stop speaking and a year has gone by. This is where The Second First Time begins.
Sage’s estranged father passes away and she needs someone to talk to and she decides to call Jonathan. It is almost like nothing has happened and they begin talking again and Jonathan suggests they actually go on that road trip they planned a year ago. Sage debates this but she does decide to go. This changes everything for Sage and Jonathan and they have to decide what they really want.
The Second First Time is a journey for Sage as she comes to terms with loss on several levels: Dealing with her father leaving her, her sister and mother when she was ten years old, then his death and the loss of the closure she can never get, and losing her best friend Jonathan the year before. We experience her thoughts and are torn with her as she tries to decide what she should do and how she feels about Jonathan. Should she take a chance on love again and possibly be hurt again? More importantly, what are Jonathan’s feelings about Sage? Can they salvage the relationship they had and realize what could have been a year ago, or are the decisions that were made then permanent?
While on their road trip they learn more about each other. You can see Sage debating with herself and we can see how Jonathan feels about Sage. Sage just needs to see it herself. At times I found myself saying, “Hurry up and get together!”.
The book is like a When Harry Met Sally story: Can a man and a woman just be friends or will romance eventually happen? The Second First Time was just okay for me, but it was well written. I did not find myself really attached to the characters. The first chapter does pull you into the story. I can’t really recommend The Second First Time, but I would give Elisa Lorello another chance and read another of her books.
I received a copy of The Second First Time from NetGalley.
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Jonathan and Sage are best friends who both happen to be authors and share the same publisher. After Jonathan’s marriage falls apart, they decide to take a road trip to see what could possibly happen. This doesn’t work out, the road trip does not happen and Sage ends up with a broken heart. They stop speaking and a year has gone by. This is where The Second First Time begins.
Sage’s estranged father passes away and she needs someone to talk to and she decides to call Jonathan. It is almost like nothing has happened and they begin talking again and Jonathan suggests they actually go on that road trip they planned a year ago. Sage debates this but she does decide to go. This changes everything for Sage and Jonathan and they have to decide what they really want.
The Second First Time is a journey for Sage as she comes to terms with loss on several levels: Dealing with her father leaving her, her sister and mother when she was ten years old, then his death and the loss of the closure she can never get, and losing her best friend Jonathan the year before. We experience her thoughts and are torn with her as she tries to decide what she should do and how she feels about Jonathan. Should she take a chance on love again and possibly be hurt again? More importantly, what are Jonathan’s feelings about Sage? Can they salvage the relationship they had and realize what could have been a year ago, or are the decisions that were made then permanent?
While on their road trip they learn more about each other. You can see Sage debating with herself and we can see how Jonathan feels about Sage. Sage just needs to see it herself. At times I found myself saying, “Hurry up and get together!”.
The book is like a When Harry Met Sally story: Can a man and a woman just be friends or will romance eventually happen? The Second First Time was just okay for me, but it was well written. I did not find myself really attached to the characters. The first chapter does pull you into the story. I can’t really recommend The Second First Time, but I would give Elisa Lorello another chance and read another of her books.
I received a copy of The Second First Time from NetGalley.
Operating on Faith: A Painfully True Love Story by Matt Weber
4.0
All my reviews can be found out: http://jessicasreadingroom.com
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Operating on Faith is a memoir written by Matt Weber. At age 29 he got married, bought a house with his wife, honeymooned then had an emergency life changing surgery. You face a lot in your first year of marriage, but a health crisis is not what Matt or his wife had planned, especially being that young and never having health issues previously.
I am not Catholic, so I had never heard of Matt Weber. He had written a book before Operating on Faith called Fearing the Stigmata and is host of The CatholicTV Network series The Lens. I wanted to read Operating on Faith based on the premise of the book. I enjoyed it and I liked Matt’s writing style. He takes his writing with humor, including the introduction to the book and even the chapter titles. The chapters are short which makes the book a very quick one to read.
You can see the struggle that Matt and his wife face dealing with his multiple health crises. I say multiple as there is a second struggle for them that happens. Through it all Matt and his wife have their love for each other and their faith. There is definitely humor in that household and you can’t help but laugh at parts of the book, even through their frustrations.
The only negative that I could see with the book is that I am not Catholic, so there were a few things that I did not understand. For example, I found myself wondering what the importance of Pope Francis is to Catholics, and also what exactly a “black mass” is. I felt a little more explanation would have been nice for those not knowing about the Catholic religion.
I did enjoy Operating on Faith and would be interested in Reading Matt Weber’s first book, Fearing the Stigmata.
Operating on Faith is recommended.
I received a copy from NetGalley and Loyola Press.
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Operating on Faith is a memoir written by Matt Weber. At age 29 he got married, bought a house with his wife, honeymooned then had an emergency life changing surgery. You face a lot in your first year of marriage, but a health crisis is not what Matt or his wife had planned, especially being that young and never having health issues previously.
I am not Catholic, so I had never heard of Matt Weber. He had written a book before Operating on Faith called Fearing the Stigmata and is host of The CatholicTV Network series The Lens. I wanted to read Operating on Faith based on the premise of the book. I enjoyed it and I liked Matt’s writing style. He takes his writing with humor, including the introduction to the book and even the chapter titles. The chapters are short which makes the book a very quick one to read.
You can see the struggle that Matt and his wife face dealing with his multiple health crises. I say multiple as there is a second struggle for them that happens. Through it all Matt and his wife have their love for each other and their faith. There is definitely humor in that household and you can’t help but laugh at parts of the book, even through their frustrations.
The only negative that I could see with the book is that I am not Catholic, so there were a few things that I did not understand. For example, I found myself wondering what the importance of Pope Francis is to Catholics, and also what exactly a “black mass” is. I felt a little more explanation would have been nice for those not knowing about the Catholic religion.
I did enjoy Operating on Faith and would be interested in Reading Matt Weber’s first book, Fearing the Stigmata.
Operating on Faith is recommended.
I received a copy from NetGalley and Loyola Press.
My Dad The Magician by Damian Powell
5.0
All my reviews can be found at: jessicasreadingroom.com
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I don’t usually read children’s books as I don’t have children and feel I can’t give a proper review because of that reason. I made an exception for My Dad the Magician when I found out what the book was about. Eric is seven years old and his dad has cancer. Instead of Eric’s parents telling him this, Eric’s dad introduces him to magic and tells Eric that he will be able to what the best magicians can’t do: Disappear forever.
What follows is a heartbreaking cancer journey that dad experiences while trying to spend as much time as possible with Eric. Eric picks up that something is wrong with dad by seeing and hearing things that are going on around him. I couldn’t help but wonder why mom and dad did not tell Eric what was going on even when Eric directly asked what’s wrong with dad.
The ending is uplifting. It is meant to be read at Christmas time, and fittingly I received it as a Christmas gift. I wasn’t able to read it on Christmas Day, but was able to read two days after Christmas.
Get your tissues ready because you won’t have a dry eye by the end of this short children’s book.
My Dad the Magician is recommended.
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I don’t usually read children’s books as I don’t have children and feel I can’t give a proper review because of that reason. I made an exception for My Dad the Magician when I found out what the book was about. Eric is seven years old and his dad has cancer. Instead of Eric’s parents telling him this, Eric’s dad introduces him to magic and tells Eric that he will be able to what the best magicians can’t do: Disappear forever.
What follows is a heartbreaking cancer journey that dad experiences while trying to spend as much time as possible with Eric. Eric picks up that something is wrong with dad by seeing and hearing things that are going on around him. I couldn’t help but wonder why mom and dad did not tell Eric what was going on even when Eric directly asked what’s wrong with dad.
The ending is uplifting. It is meant to be read at Christmas time, and fittingly I received it as a Christmas gift. I wasn’t able to read it on Christmas Day, but was able to read two days after Christmas.
Get your tissues ready because you won’t have a dry eye by the end of this short children’s book.
My Dad the Magician is recommended.
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
5.0
Me Before You. Wow. It’s been a few days since I finished the book. I needed a few days to try and take in everything that I read. I don’t think I have still taken it all in.
I saw the trailer for the movie and I came close to crying watching it. I knew I had to see the movie and read the book! Then I learned about the ending. I had some doubts about the book and read about the controversy, but I still wanted to read Me Before You and give it a chance and decide for myself and have my own opinion of the book. I knew I would cry at the end. Knowing the ending, I tried not to care for Will. I failed at that. As I read Me Before You, I got attached to both him and Lou.
I love the title of the book. Me Before You. So much meaning there. The title could be about either Lou or Will, or also both of their lives individually before their lives intersect. We get Lou’s story as she is the protagonist of the book. We also get a small part of Will’s life before the accident in the Prologue. We get a glimpse of who he was as a person before the accident.
Me Before You is not a love story. This is a life story. And the decision that one man has made and how that affects everyone around him. And two characters happen to unexpectedly fall in love.
Lou is living her life working at The Buttered Bun. Then the owner decides to sell the place and she has to find a new job. She gets the job as caregiver for Will. I found it a little hard to believe that she got that job with no experience care-giving. I feel that was Will’s mother’s decision because of the type of person Lou is. I feel that was Will’s mom trying to find some way to get him to change his mind by hiring Lou as Will’s caregiver.
Once Lou finds out what’s Will’s plans are she goes on a mission to show Will that life is worth living. She plans adventures and fun.
My heart got a few tugs in a few places: When Will gave Lou the bumblebee hose that he had made for her as a birthday gift. When we found out what the tattoo says that Will got at the tattoo parlor. I teared up a little there.
When Will finally admitted to Lou that he had fallen in love with her, but that it wasn’t enough I was heartbroken. At this point I wish we could have gotten inside his mind as we got in the mind of Lou’s sister and Mr. Traynor for some chapters. Euthanasia is a touchy subject with people. And the fact that Will had everything possible available to him and he still chose death upsets some. The book makes it apparent that Will clearly knows what his life will be like and the pain and what his health will most likely be for however long that life would have been.
Ultimately, Will did not change his mind and went through with euthanasia. It was apparent that his mind was never going to be changed, despite the fact that at the end of his life he had a woman who was willing to take care of him for the rest of his life, however long that would have been. And also a supportive family that loved him. It was ultimately Will’s decision on his life and he deserves that respect. HE was the one that was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Which caused the accident to totally change HIS life when he became a quadriplegic. HE was the one who had to live in that chair. HE was the one that could barely move his had. HE was the one with the injury that he was never going to recover from. HE was the one to have pneumonia 3 times in two years. HE was the one who had attempted suicide previously. He was never going to change his mind as heartbreaking as it was to read.
Some feel that the book is negative towards the disabled. Some feel that the book says that the disabled are better off dead than alive. Some may feel that way. Every person is lives their own life and that is the decision Will made. We can not judge him as only HE knew what HIS life was like in that chair.
The end of the book does have hope to it. Lou is a different person at the end. I look forward to the sequel After You.
I saw the trailer for the movie and I came close to crying watching it. I knew I had to see the movie and read the book! Then I learned about the ending. I had some doubts about the book and read about the controversy, but I still wanted to read Me Before You and give it a chance and decide for myself and have my own opinion of the book. I knew I would cry at the end. Knowing the ending, I tried not to care for Will. I failed at that. As I read Me Before You, I got attached to both him and Lou.
I love the title of the book. Me Before You. So much meaning there. The title could be about either Lou or Will, or also both of their lives individually before their lives intersect. We get Lou’s story as she is the protagonist of the book. We also get a small part of Will’s life before the accident in the Prologue. We get a glimpse of who he was as a person before the accident.
Me Before You is not a love story. This is a life story. And the decision that one man has made and how that affects everyone around him. And two characters happen to unexpectedly fall in love.
Lou is living her life working at The Buttered Bun. Then the owner decides to sell the place and she has to find a new job. She gets the job as caregiver for Will. I found it a little hard to believe that she got that job with no experience care-giving. I feel that was Will’s mother’s decision because of the type of person Lou is. I feel that was Will’s mom trying to find some way to get him to change his mind by hiring Lou as Will’s caregiver.
Once Lou finds out what’s Will’s plans are she goes on a mission to show Will that life is worth living. She plans adventures and fun.
My heart got a few tugs in a few places: When Will gave Lou the bumblebee hose that he had made for her as a birthday gift. When we found out what the tattoo says that Will got at the tattoo parlor. I teared up a little there.
When Will finally admitted to Lou that he had fallen in love with her, but that it wasn’t enough I was heartbroken. At this point I wish we could have gotten inside his mind as we got in the mind of Lou’s sister and Mr. Traynor for some chapters. Euthanasia is a touchy subject with people. And the fact that Will had everything possible available to him and he still chose death upsets some. The book makes it apparent that Will clearly knows what his life will be like and the pain and what his health will most likely be for however long that life would have been.
Ultimately, Will did not change his mind and went through with euthanasia. It was apparent that his mind was never going to be changed, despite the fact that at the end of his life he had a woman who was willing to take care of him for the rest of his life, however long that would have been. And also a supportive family that loved him. It was ultimately Will’s decision on his life and he deserves that respect. HE was the one that was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Which caused the accident to totally change HIS life when he became a quadriplegic. HE was the one who had to live in that chair. HE was the one that could barely move his had. HE was the one with the injury that he was never going to recover from. HE was the one to have pneumonia 3 times in two years. HE was the one who had attempted suicide previously. He was never going to change his mind as heartbreaking as it was to read.
Some feel that the book is negative towards the disabled. Some feel that the book says that the disabled are better off dead than alive. Some may feel that way. Every person is lives their own life and that is the decision Will made. We can not judge him as only HE knew what HIS life was like in that chair.
The end of the book does have hope to it. Lou is a different person at the end. I look forward to the sequel After You.