Heaven (Casteel, #1) | by V.C. Andrews

 

Revisiting another book I had no business reading a a young child but have reread a few times since. This time I was able to get a audio version if it and figured I'd give it a try. I tend to listen to audiobooks from books I have previously read in order to help me sleep at night. Well... I ended up being entertained and found myself awake.

I am not sure why I like these "trashy" books so much but I blog about it because I know there are others that enjoy them the way I do or are just discovering them. Heaven Leigh Casteel lives in the backwoods with her family. She lives with her grandparents, siblings, mother and father. Her father isa mean and cruel man. He is a drunk and makes their life harder by spending what little money they have. 

One night ... Heaven's grandmother tells Heaven the truth. That her mother died giving birth to her and she was the greatest love of her fathers life.  Her death made him the person he is now. Not long after this her grandmother dies and her stepmother runs away. Heaven and her siblings life gets worse and then are left to nearly starve and their father becomes even more cruel. Heaven's father slowly sells off his children and Heaven is sold to a woman who once loved her father and loathers her biological mother.

V.C. Andrews captures extreme poverty and adversities in a way that you don't see amongst more modern day writers. This is a rather sad book and his in a more emotional manner that previously. The narrator is phenomenal and captures Heaven's character and that of others really well.  The story came alive. It will be a bit before I read/listen to the second installment but if you like Andrews and feel like revisiting an old friend pick this up. 

The Life She Could Have Lived | by Laura Pearson

Anna has just gone on a date with James. It's the best date of her life. Anna and her best friend visit a fortune teller. Anna is told that her future will be with a man who's name starts with a J. Nina is told she will have one great love.

James never calls and Anna finds herself in a relationship with Edward but Anna has a huge decision to make about her future with Edward. Her yes or no will determine the type of life she will have. The story then flips back and forth between her life in two different worlds. Anna has a different person in both worlds while Nina has the same

Regardless of the choice Anna makes a heartbreak will occur. Her parallel universe's starts on her wedding day and continue for decades. All the relationships are woven together in a believable manner. You might end up questioning the paths you've taken in life that have created and ended relationships. 

Fourth Wing (The Empyrean, #1) | by Rebecca Yarros

Did you delay reading/listening to Fourth Wing because you aren't a massive fan of fantasy or dragons? I did and after a lot urging to give it a try I did. I checked out the 1st and then the 2nd part of the Graphic Audio version from Hoopla. If you haven't tried Graphic Audio I highly recommend it. 

I was blown away by how much I loved Fourth Wing. It's nothing like I envisioned it to be. If you've put it off like me ... give it a chance. You might find yourself surprised the way I was!

Violet Sorrengail is only 20 years old. She wants to live the quiet life of a Scribe Quadrant where she'd be surrounded by books and history but her mother who is also the commanding general has forced her to join as a candidate for Navarre: dragon riders.  It is a dangerous and ruthless. Hundred of  candidates join and many will die before they complete the trial to join. Not only is it difficult emotionally and physically but others around you are out get you. They want to be part of the elite. Then ... the dragons enter the picture and if one doesn't select you to bond with or if one doesn't kill you you have to try out again next year.

Violet is petite and a bookworm not an athlete. Her mother, sister and brother are well known. She has to "fight" against that legacy and the hate that many cadets have for her mother.Violet is also smart which helps her find her way and place but challenges keep piling and as they unfold you were cheer her on and when her heart breaks your's will too. 

The dragons are NOTHING like imagined and I feel in love with them!!!! I am looking forward to reading the second installment,

Elsewhere | by Gabrielle Zevin

 

Elsewhere is one of my favorite books. I revisited it again and loved it just as much. Liz Hall is only 15 years old when she dies. She finds herself on a ship headed to Elsewhere. She soon learns that she is dead and when she arrived in Elsewhere she is greeted by her grandmother who had passed on.

Liz learns that Elsewhere is a place that people age backwards from the day they die until they become a baby and return to earth. Liz initially struggles as she finds her own way but once she does she blossoms.

Elsewhere is a creative and unique rendition of afterlife. I can easily read this book over and over.

The Life of Chuck | by Stephen King

 

Disasters, collapsing infrastructure, mass panic and advertisement's saying, ""Charles Krantz. Thirty-nine great years. Thanks, Chuck!" appear all over. Marty Anderson see's the messages and needs to know what they mean. 

We then learn about Chuck in three parts. We learn about him as a child and an adult. His story unravels in a beautifully crafted way that only King knows how to do. 

This is a beautiful and haunting story that you will read more than once. I first read it many years ago in a short story collection called It Bleeds and it's stayed with me. It hits different the second time around. This is a short story you won't want to miss. 

Slow Dance | by Rainbow Rowell

 

Shiloh and Cary were best friends in High School. They had always imagined that they would be in one another's lives but life had other plans. Shiloh went off to college and Cary joined the navy. At first they kept in contact with one another but distance and time changed their friendship.

It's been over fourteen years since they have seen/spoken to one another. Shiloh is now divorced, has two kids and has returned to her hometown and is living in the house she grew up in. Cary has made the military his career and is busy with other challenges life has thrown his way.

An old friend of theirs is getting married and they have both been invited. Shiloh and Cary reunited their friendship and their story is told in real time and in flashbacks. Shiloh and Cary are believable characters. They are flawed and real. This is an easy and enjoyable read.

The Second Chance Cinema | by Thea Weiss

 

The Second Chance Cinema is such a cute read! Ellie and Drake are engaged and one night they stumble across a hidden yet glamorous cinema. Curiosity gets the best of them and they enter it only to discover that a chapter of their life is playing. The theater is geared to their life. They are given a set amount of tickets that give them future access to seeing their lives play out. 

Ellie and Drake return over and over again but each viewing discloses memories that they have not shared with one another, memories that have faded and memories that have the potential to break them or bring them closer.

Ellie and Drake's love story is relatable and Weiss captures what it is to be human. This story is emotional and much more than another romantic tale. I expected this book to be about time travel but it's not. It's about the choices we make, the memories that haunt us and the life we live.

The magic realism, romance and characters create an unforgettable read.