February in Review

So February flew by, and thank God, I am so ready for spring! But Spring looks like it could be holding out on us - early March and with the wind chill today it feels like 17 below. A great day to snuggle with the worlds greatest dog, turn on the fireplace and read a book.

To start off the month I enjoyed a community theater production of Of Mice and Men, it was an amazing play and the first time I had seen a live production of this Steinbeck classic. I went with several people who had never read the book or seen a movie version so it was fun to see their reaction to the play. Of Mice and Men has always been one of my favorite books, if you have not had the chance to read it, put it on your TBR, it's a quick book but so worth it!

For a month or so my generation 2 Kindle has been acting up and just as I neared the end of Burial Rites, it died. I HAD to finish it that day, I could not wait, so I rushed to Best Buy and picked up a Kindle Paperwhite. It was my lucky day as it was on sale and I got the last one in stock. I rushed home and quickly picked up right where I left off. My cousin mentioned that Burial Rites was an appropriate book to be reading when my Kindle died and then I realized the first book I read on it was Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. Perfect! I love the Kindle Paperwhite, with the built in light and touch screen. Despite my love of actual books, the smell, the weight, the piles of them around my house, I have been a Kindle convert ever since my husband gifted me my first one.

On one of the rare warmish days in February I slipped and fell going up the icy stairs into work, fracturing my hip......so lots of rest, no stairs, no riding my horse....I am taking consolation in the fact that it is really to cold to do anything and that I feel like I am healing quickly. Maybe late March I will be back in action, I hope.

Now, what I read this month (in order from least favorite to favorite) and how I am doing on my New Year's Book Resolutions.

5. Be Safe I Love You Cara Hoffman
4. The Wind Is Not a River Brian Payton
3. The Fault in Our Stars John Green
2. Serena Ron Rash
1. Burial Rites Hannah Kent

As for my New Year's resolution, I tried the young adult genre with the Fault in Our Stars.

So here is hoping for spring and more happy reading!

Serena Ron Rash

Serena by Ron Rash

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Serena, oh my gosh, I loved her, despite her cold, calculating, murderous ways. I loved the whole story and once I got started I could not put this book down. George and Serena Pemberton are newly weds returning to North Carolina to manage their timber company, upon arriving they are greeted by a women, pregnant with Pemberton's child and her father. The father is killed by Pemberton and the women, Rachel Harmon, is told in no uncertain terms, by Serena, that she will get nothing from them.
In the first few pages we learn that the Pemberton's will stop at nothing to get what they want. After suffering a miscarriage and learning she will never have her own children, the one thing she wants and cannot get, Serena sets out to kill Pemberton's child with Rachel Harmon.
This book kept me hanging right up until the ending, I had ideas of how I wanted things to turn out and hopes for what would happen, but the ending snuck up on me, it was truly shocking, but fitting. I really enjoyed the authors writing style, the descriptions of the Smokey Mountains and all the minor characters through out.
There were times I felt like I missed something in the book, such as when the doctor and Harris were killed. I didn't need explicit details but felt like something was missing in explaining what happened to them.
The house fire, it sounds like Serena and Pemberton lost everything, yet for his birthday she wears her old green dress. It also sounds like other personal items of theirs were saved. A few inconsistencies such as these through me off, but not enough to ruin the book for me.
I would like a Serena prequel, it would be fascinating to learn more about Serena's time in Montana and why she was so cold.
As I read this book, I didn't see either Jennifer Lawrence or Bradley Cooper in these roles, but still excited to see the film version.



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ARC Review Be Safe I Love You Cara Hoffman

Be Safe I Love You by Cara Hoffman

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Lauren Clay is an Army Sergeant returning home from Iraq. Despite experiencing trauma while deployed Lauren is able to rush through her our processing and return home to her father and brother just in time for Christmas. Lauren also reunites with her ex-boyfriend, Shane, best friend Holly and her former music teacher. It is evident from the beginning that Lauren has changed but it takes a crisis to realize just how changed she is.

Lauren had a tough up bringing, her mother abandoned her and her brother Danny as young children and her father was bedridden due to depression. Lauren was the provider, cook and parent forcing her to grow up quickly and learn to hide her emotions. Her relationship with her brother was unique and real. His letters to her while she was in Iraq were great and a nice addition to the book, it brought their relationship to life.

I was bothered by her relationship with her ex-boyfriend, Shane, from the first moments we meet him through the end. I have a feeling their relationship was always dysfunctional. I didn't quite get the inclusion of Shane's uncles in the story, I found them an unnecessary distraction and I couldn't really figure out who was who or if it mattered. I liked Lauren and Holly's relationship, it seemed to be the least strained and Lauren was most like her old self when with Holly.

I had several big issues with the novel however, first how the author tried to make the story a thriller/mystery by leaving out some information and teasing us with little bits of information. Secondly, there were some off little side stories, such as Shane's uncles, their intelligence and failure to leave the neighborhood. Finally, I found the jumping around in time to be distracting and hard to follow.

I didn't like ending, it felt rushed and any problems were solved to conveniently. I really disliked how we learned about Lauren's experience in Iraq and wish the author would have explored that more as well as her connection to Daryl. There were also details that were not cleaned up, such as hints that Lauren spent time in jail or that she could face charges for her conduct in Iraq. These things could have been explored more so we had a better sense of how and why Lauren had become who she was.

As a former female Army sergeant there were parts of this novel I strongly identified with, that felt very real. While I never deployed to Iraq, I have some sense of what it is like to try and transition between military life and civilian life. However, I think Lauren's transition could have been more fully explored.

I received a copy of the novel from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.





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Review of: The Wind is Not a River Brian Payton

The Wind Is Not a River by Brian Payton

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I was interested in this book because of my lack of knowledge regarding the World War II battles on the Aleutian Islands, the only battle to be fought on American soil. The book disappointed though, I didn't learn as much as I hoped, the characters were not compelling and the love story fell flat.
It took me a while to get into this book, I struggled to connect with the story, to figure out exactly what was going on. I am glad I stuck it out and finished, the book was enjoyable and it has inspired me to learn more about the Aleutian Islands during World War II.

John Easley is a journalist covering the Japanese take over of the Aleutian Islands until all journalists are kicked out. After the death of his brother he feels compelled to return, leaving his wife with little information about where he is going. Helen Easley, a young wife, is desperate to find her husband, leaving her ill father to join a USO traveling troop and travel to Alaska to try and get any information possible about her husband.

The best part of this novel was Easley's and Karl's struggle for survival on an Aleutian island occupied by the Japanese. Their relationship, team work and self discoveries were this novels finest parts. It was thrilling as the pair, and later Easley alone, snuck around the Japanese, even moving through the enemy camp.

Helen's story was less compelling and to0 convenient. Her ability to join a USO traveling entertainment troop and get to Alaska and to find all the right connections to her husband was a little unbelievable. I didn't feel her stress of being abandoned by her husband for three months with out word of his location and didn't feel like the two were really in love.

The ending and the resolution of John and Helen's journeys was also too convenient and again didn't reflect the love between them or what they had endured. This book was enjoyable and had some great moments, I would recommend for any one looking for a novel about the lesser known aspects of World War II.

I received a free copy of this novel from Goodreads first reads in exchange for a fair review.



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