Saturday, February 16, 2013

Secrets make Good Books!


The Secret KeeperThe Secret Keeper by Kate Morton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was an excellent book, one of Kate Morton's best.

I read this while on vacation so lots of fun stuff interrupted my reading time. If I had been home, I would have probably read this in one day.

Morton will keep you guessing as you read through "Secret Keeper". I read it on my kindle, which kept me from reading ahead. I know many people are appalled to learn how often I read ahead because I am impatient to know what is happening, but it really does not ruin stories for me. In this particular case though, I think the anticipation of getting back to the story and having to wait for then ending added to my enjoyment.

The book revolves around Laurel, her mother, and a secret. We know part of the secret early on, but it is only as you complete the book, that the larger secret becomes known to you. ALong the way you will meet several characters--Dorothy, Vivien, Jimmy, and of course Laurel herself. How their stories entertwine will eventually become clear to you.

If you don't like moving being characters and times, the book may cause a bit of a struggle for you. However, I would still encourage you to give it a try.

I like all of Kate Morton's books, but this was one of my favorites!

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A Dollar Store Find!


The Truth About Sparrows The Truth About Sparrows by Marian Hale
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I got this book at the dollar store, for, you guessed it, $1. I liked it so it was a dollar well spent.

As a girl who moved multiple times during her growing up years, I could understand Sadie's angst about leaving her home, best friend, and having to start somewhere new. Her struggle with her angry feelings and her desire to be a good person also resonated with me.

The author did a good job of describing Sadie's feelings as she transitioned from one type of life to another. I would recommend this teen fiction book to both adults and teens.

I enjoyed the interview with the author at the end of the book. When asked what she (the author) wished she could do better, she responded: "Everything! But being imperfect is not such a bad thing. I like to think we're all like jigsaw puzzles with pieces missing here and there. The lessons we learn, the people we meet and come to love, simply fill in the missing pieces and help complete the picture of who we are."

I think this perfectly describes what happened to Sadie in "The Truth About Sparrows".

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Saturday, February 2, 2013

A Mystery Steeped in History


The Cutting SeasonThe Cutting Season by Attica Locke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Cutting Season is not the typical genre of book that I read. I was enticed into reading this because of the reviews on Goodreads. As a bonus, I could borrow it for my kindle from my local library so decided to give it a try. I'd call it mystery and suspense, although I see some descriptions call it a "thriller". I don't know why, but I typically veer away from those types of books.

Caren Gray is an African American woman who manages a plantation in the South. What's fascinating about this is that her grandparents were slaves on this plantation, and her mother brought her up there. Caren had been determined to escape from the past, and left to pursue a law degree. The birth of her child and a sorrow pulled her back home. I would say she has a love/hate relationship with the plantation and it's owners. The prejudices that follow Black-Americans can't be understood by me, a white woman, but you can feel the tensions in the story.

Caren finds a body on the plantation and the story revolves around who committed this murder, as well as the disappearance of a slave ancestor from her family history. In the meantime, her failed love story, her failed dreams and her daughter's isolation all collide--will she find a way to get back to those dreams and start life anew?

I was always eager to get back to the book to find out what was going to happen next (I read this while on a cruise so I didn't have uninterrupted reading time) and will be trying more of Attica Locke's books.


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