Summer Reading Celebration

As someone who has experience with dealing with people in toxic relationships, this book hit a tad harder than I expected. Freddy's situation is all too familiar. It was refreshing to see her get out of it. Relationships where the people keep breaking up and getting back together are, in my opinion, romanticized far too much, so the author treating it as a bad thing was nice to see.

Well written historical novel that portrayals what it might have been like for a woman in the medical profession in England in the 1800's.

This one definitely kept you guessing until the very end.

Pirates of the Caribbean meets Chronicles of Narnia. Privateers, Navy, fauns, minotaurs, humans and elves with plenty of magic oh my! There were parts that were slow or dragged too much for my liking but, for the most part it was well placed. I did not like the MFC but she grew on me. Honor Renn, Navy blue mage, is left adrift until she is picked up by the notorious Ship of Spells. On-board is an eclectic crew of misfits amd a charismatic captain. There battles on land and sea, treachery, loathing, love and a ton of magic. Thoroughly enjoyed all of the tension on board the ship between Honor Renn, the crewand the enigmatic captain Thanavar!

I liked it in general but Olivia wasn't my favorite protagonist so I was just a bit more out of the book than normal

I loved how it combined various literary characters from different classics into an action packed novel. Oh and the alternative time line for Queen Victoria's London, England is perfect

That was really good and quite digestible for a fantasy

Kristin Hannah is a great author who brings characters to life. This book did not disappoint. And her descriptions of life in the wilderness of Alaska are breathtaking.

Better than the Shippers in my opinion but the lack of a trigger warning really really really bothers me. I think that's what really bothered me about the Shippers, the fact there is absolutely no warning before assault on the page. TW: body dysphoria, disordered eating, cyberbullying including death threats, body shaming etc. Honestly I think having it being such a big part of the book and her character, its really damaging to not advise the reader especially with how young and uninformed romance skews right now.

The Western Wind carries the changes that the Renaissance and Age of Enlightenment will bring to 15th century England through the microcosm of a small, backwater town called Oakham. The story unfolds in reverse, beginning with the last day and ending with the first which makes for a thought provoking premise from the start. But soon you realize that the narrator isn’t entirely reliable and as the storyteller he attempts to put himself in the best light. It’s a mystery but not a typical whodunnit. The small focus questions center on is it murder, a suicide, or an accident? The bigger questions grapple with the nature of sin and forgiveness, the perceived need for an intercessor between humans and God, the role of art and music in religious experiences. The motivations of the characters are as real as yours and your neighbor’s. There is much to chew on here.