Showing posts with label gun. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gun. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 11, 2021

Book Review - 'Round Midnight by Laura McBride

 

Twenty-one-year-old June Stein is bored of her safe world and decides to move from New Jersey to Las Vegas in the 1950s. In the span of 60 years, June tries to live her life as she pleases and she tries to push boundaries. She goes against the norm for what she believes in.

June's story intertwines with three strangers: a woman who was a mail-order bride from the Philippines, a young mother who is working as a hotel maid, and a high school music teacher. The three women are connected by a secret June has kept.

I wasn't a fan of this novel. I felt like the story had too many characters and it seemed pointless and jumbled together.  The story had tons of random details that sometimes made the story hard to follow.  I did like the premise of the story but, I felt like the execution wasn't great.

Tuesday, January 12, 2021

Book Review - Waiting for the Night Song by Julie Carrick Dalton + Giveaway


 

Cadie Kessler, a forest researcher,  has spent her entire life trying to cover up her past. She knew that moment will resurface eventually. However, will she be able to come to terms with it?

Cadie receives an urgent text from her childhood best friend, Daniela Garcia. Daniela is asking Cadie to come back home. Daniela and Cadie share a secret bond during their childhood until a dark secret corrupted their friendship. 

Cadie and Daniela are adults but, they still find themselves bonded to oaths and promises they made as children.  They realize that some secrets can't be buried forever and that they will need to make sacrifices to people they care about.

I enjoyed the message behind the book but, thought the novel itself was a bit political and preachy for my liking. There were parts where I found that the author was trying to force their belief onto the reader. I wasn't fond of the writing style or pace, I found that it was very slow and boring to read. While I agree with the messages shared within the book such as caring for our environment, immigration, friendship, I just didn't care for the method of delivery. I am still willing to read more books by the author.


  **Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**



Forge Books
Publisher : Forge Books; 1st edition (January 12, 2021)
Language: : English
Hardcover : 336 Pages
On Sale: 01/12/2021
ISBN: 9781250269188336 Pages
 

Praise for WAITING FOR THE NIGHT SONG

“Julie Carrick Dalton’s deftly constructed, urgent yet slow-burning debut novel reads like a warning from the frontlines of our rapidly deteriorating natural world.” —Omar El Akkad, American War

“Both a timely and timeless literary mystery, Waiting for the Night Song is as seductive as it is smart, blending the allure of Julie Dalton’s beloved rural New Hampshire setting with the dark undercurrents of a community’s racial divisions and betrayals. This is a story of love, of home, of friendship and family, of a childhood’s innocence and an adult’s comeuppance, all of which are in the line of fire in this beauty of a page turner.” —Michelle Hoover, award-winning author of Bottomland and The Quickening

“Human nature clashes with Mother Nature in this riveting and heartbreaking coming of age story— gorgeously written, and wonderfully told. With its combination of powerful themes and intensely immersive setting, fans of Delia Owens will swoon to find their new favorite author. A phenomenal debut!” —Hank Phillippi Ryan, award-winning author of The First to Lie

“Dalton writes masterfully of human relationship and the fraught relationship humanity has with ecology…put it on your lists NOW.” —Michael Zapata, author of The Lost Book of Adana Moreau

“I marvel when I come across a book that is at once timely and timeless…It’s a novel that burns–figuratively and literally–with sharp prose and uncommon wisdom. Do yourself a favor and have a look for yourself.” —Peter Geye, award-winning author of Wintering

“Waiting for the Night Song is a beautiful book that is also a hell of a read. Complex characters, unforgettable setting, taut storyline, big ideas.” —Ashley Shelby, author of South Pole Station

“Smart and searingly passionate, Dalton’s absorbing mystery debut explores many timely issues including global warming, female friendships, childhood secrets, and the lengths we take to protect them — Waiting For The Night Song is an illuminating snapshot of nature, betrayal and sacrifices set in the evocative New Hampshire wilderness.” —Kim Michele Richardson, award-winning author of The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek

“A killer, gorgeous debut that tackles love, racism and even climate change. Waiting for the Night Song will break your heart, leave you breathless and wanting more.” —Rachel Barenbaum, bestselling author of A Bend in the Stars

“Dalton weaves the vagaries of friendship, the wonder of the natural world, and the power of truth to create a powerful and unforgettable story.” —Erica Ferencik, bestselling author of The River at Night and Into the Jungle

“Dalton’s debut is a story of friendship, family, and the consequences of acting out of fear, especially when those actions are performed to protect those we love. The storytelling is made even more vivid by the way the novel practically breathes the woods of New Hampshire.” —Booklist

“Stirring...a taut novel that builds suspense to the very end.” —Publishers Weekly


A startling and timely debut, Julie Carrick Dalton's Waiting for the Night Song is a moving, brilliant novel about friendships forged in childhood magic and ruptured by the high price of secrets that leave you forever changed.

Cadie Kessler has spent decades trying to cover up one truth. One moment. But deep down, didn't she always know her secret would surface?

An urgent message from her long-estranged best friend Daniela Garcia brings Cadie, now a forestry researcher, back to her childhood home. There, Cadie and Daniela are forced to face a dark secret that ended both their idyllic childhood bond and the magical summer that takes up more space in Cadie's memory then all her other years combined.

Now grown up, bound by long-held oaths, and faced with truths she does not wish to see, Cadie must decide what she is willing to sacrifice to protect the people and the forest she loves, as drought, foreclosures, and wildfire spark tensions between displaced migrant farm workers and locals.

Waiting for the Night Song
is a love song to the natural beauty around us, a call to fight for what we believe in, and a reminder that the truth will always rise.

You can purchase Waiting for the Night at the following Retailers:
        

Photo Credit: Sharona Jacobs

Julie Carrick Dalton grew up in Maryland and on a military base in Germany. As an adult, she bounced around from Seattle to Dallas to Virginia, before finding her true home in Boston, where she has lived for more than twenty years. Her writing has appeared in The Boston Globe, BusinessWeek, The Hollywood Reporter, Electric Literature, and other publications. She contributes to The Chicago Review of Books, DeadDarlings, and The Writer Unboxed. A Tin House alum and graduate of GrubStreet’s Novel Incubator, Julie holds a Master’s in Literature and Creative Writing from Harvard Extension School. She is a frequent speaker on the topic of writing fiction in the age of climate crisis. Mom to four kids and two dogs, Julie is a passionate skier, hiker, and kayaker. She also owns and operates an organic farm. Please excuse her dirty fingernails.
        

WEEK ONE - REVIEW & INTERVIEWS
JANUARY 11th MONDAY JeanBookNerd INTERVIEW
JANUARY 12th TUESDAY Kait Plus Books INTERVIEW 
JANUARY13th WEDNESDAY Two Points of Interest REVIEW
JANUARY14th THURSDAY BookHounds REVIEW & INTERVIEW 
JANUARY14th THURSDAY Movies, Shows, & Books GUEST POST
JANUARY 15th FRIDAY Welcome to MLM Opinion's Reviews REVIEW 
JANUARY 15th FRIDAY Books and Zebras REVIEW 

WEEK TWO - REVIEWS
JANUARY 18th MONDAY Casia's Corner REVIEW
JANUARY 19th TUESDAY A Court of Coffee and Books REVIEW 
JANUARY 20th WEDNESDAY J.R.'s Book Reviews REVIEW
JANUARY 21st THURSDAY Nay's Pink Bookshelf REVIEW 
JANUARY 21st THURSDAY Gwendalyn's Books REVIEW
JANUARY 22nd FRIDAY My Fictional Oasis REVIEW 
JANUARY 22nd FRIDAY Reading Adventures of a Book Dragon REVIEW

*JBN is not responsible for Lost or Damaged Books in your Nerdy Mail Box*

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Sunday, May 17, 2020

Book Review - Members Only by Sameer Pandya

Photo Credit - Amazon


Raj Bhatt doesn't know where he belongs. He moved to America from Bombay as a child. He knew very few Indian kids. He is now a middle-aged man living happily married in California. He is mostly happy with life and is teaching at a university. It seems to him that his wife who is white is fitting in better than he does, especially at their tennis club. He loves their tennis club and what it means to be a part of it.
During one week, his life starts unraveling. During a meeting for potential new members, Raj notices that there is an African American couple on the nominee list. He always dreamed of a more diverse tennis club. To fit in, he makes a racist joke and the committee turns on him. He feels betrayed since he has put up years of prejudice. To make matters worse, a group of his students reports him as "anti-Western".

As a person of color and of Indian descent, I have often found myself in Raj's shoes too. I find myself sometimes stump on certain social situations. I can understand how he needs to fit in while honoring his heritage. I thought the book was a fun and engaging read. I couldn't help but, think about my anthropology professor from my college days who was also of Indian descent. I now realize that someone can look put together but, have a host of insecurities and issues that they keep to themselves. The book details events in a week and it was easy to see how one event can lead to a spiral of an unfortunate week. I am looking forward to reading other books by the author.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**

Sunday, December 30, 2018

Book Review - The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

Photo Credit - Amazon


Alicia Berenson's life looks perfect from the outside. She is a famous painter and is married to a famous fashion photographer. Together they live in a beautiful house in a posh area. However, one night Gabriel returns late from work and Alicia shoots him in the face five times. Then, she never speaks another word.

After Alicia refuses to talk, the public imagination runs wild and casts Alicia as a villain. The price for her artwork explodes. She is cast as the silent patient. Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist and is anxious to work with Alicia. He is determined to have her talk and unravel the mystery behind her husband's murder.

I found the novel to be a spellbinding read. At first, I thought the book was going to have the predictable twist that Alicia was set up. However, I was surprised by how many interesting and unpredictable twists the novel had.  I questioned every character and if anything the narrator told us was really true. Overall, one of my favorite books this season and I can't wait to read more books by the author.

**Disclosure - This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no any extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**