The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult

The Tenth Circle is metaphoric journey through Dante's Inferno told by a cast of characters dealing with one night of  violence against a 14 year old teenage. Some could argue that Trixie the 14 year old is the main character of this story but I disagree and say that it is her father, Daniel.  Daniel tells his story of rescuing his daughter by drawing a comic in which he enters Dante's Inferno and walks the different levels of hell searching for his daughter and a way to save her.

Daniel, Trixie and Laura each have their own secrets, some darker and more devastating that another.
Pretty, smart, popular, Trixie goes to a party and her life and that that of others changes due to an act of violence.  Trixie reports that she has been raped by her ex-boyfriend, evidence points to her story being true and then he is found dead. It is initially thought to be a suicide but then Trixie and Daniel becomes suspects.  The story unravels until the truth is presented.

This isn't my most favorite novel of Picoult's novels and there is A LOT going on. Many different story lines but the do eventually merge. The ending is rather abrupt and expected.

It's Always the Husband by Michele Campbell

 

It's Always the Husband by Michelle Campbell

Will be available May 16, 2017

 

Aubrey, Kate and Jenny's life was fated the moment they met as college roommates. They attended the prestige's Carlisle College in New Hampshire. They were as different as three people could be.  Friendship bonds were formed, lies were told, drugs became an escape. They were the best of frenemies .  A tragedy of epic proportions binds them together for life.

 

It's twenty years later and all three women find themselves living in the same town once again. More lies surface, infidelity becomes common place and then one of the 3 is found dead. Her death is suspicious in nature and more than one person is considered suspect.

 

Campbell debut novel flips back and forth between the past and present. Characters tell their own story but there isn't a moment of confusion on the time frame or character "speaking".

 

This book is brilliant and I can usually figure it out but Campbell kept me on my toes, guessing and turning the pages until the final conclusion.

 

The twist and turns will keep you  up and draw you to the book like moths to a flame until it concludes. This is a must read.

 

 

Sad Perfect by Stephanie Elliot

Every now and then you come across a book that resonates with you. A book that makes you realize your own eating “quirks” aren’t something to be ashamed of or something to hide. I have a bit of a secret that only a few people know about.  Around the time I started Middle School until late into High School I refused to eat ANYTHING after 6:00 p.m. and when the time changed I would refuse to eat anything after 5:00 p.m.  My fear was based upon getting sick from my stomach. I was convinced that if I ate after that time I would get sick and the few times I tried it. I did get sick.

I would go to sleep hungry, the hunger pains keeping me awake but the fear of what would happen if I at a simple piece of toast was too much for me to handle. No amount of cajoling or begging could get me to eat. My eating habits impacted my family because they had to work around my eating habits and they knew that if a change in plan caused a meal to be late, I simply wouldn’t eat.

My grandmother who raised me was impact by this the most. When I was around 8, I was hospitalized because I lost a significant amount of weight in a short amount of time (I was well under 40 pounds and my ribs were prominently visible through my t-shirts). The doctors first suspected a brain tumor. The smell or look of food was simply revolting and would cause me to gag. The only thing I could really stomach was sprite and sweets.  I was kept in the hospital in the children’s  ward until I gained back a healthy amount of weight.

Somewhere along the way I became comfortable with eating after 5/6 p.m but I still have an odd fear or food or getting sick to my stomach from it. For example:  If I am going to fly or be traveling for hours on end, I will refuse to eat or only eat very basic “boring” “safe” foods to avoid a potential stomach issue.  The night before, I will also limit myself to ‘’safe” foods.  When, I go out to eat, I limit what I consume because I don’t want to get “sick” and then I eat the rest when I get home because I am in a safe place. If I need to run errands or go out somewhere, I refuse to do it on a full stomach, once again because I fear getting “sick”.

This fear has impacted many aspects of my life but I am getting better, much, much better! I can eat  at a restaurant when a few years back I couldn’t even walk through the door. My relationship with food, getting “sick” has also been exasperated by my general anxiety disorder (which is under much more control than it was 4 years ago!).

Current day, I love food (probably too much!) but I still have weird moments with food, I sometimes avoid eating something because an image of it being rotten or oozing a disgusting substance jumps into my head. Sometimes, I am convinced it has something in it that is going to make me ill.  I refused to eat leftovers and won’t eat anything that I have had in the fridge over x amount of time even if it is within the expiration date and I won’t eat anything that is within a few days of expiring. I don’t know if this is common – if others think the way I do but if you do have hang-ups know you are not alone.

Now Back to Sad Perfect.

Sad Perfect made my heart race, the whirlwind of emotions and beautifully written yet complex characters kept me engrossed. Stephanie Elliot introduces the reading world to a disorder that isn’t well known, called AFRID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder).

Told in second person (which I have never seen successfully done, until now) puts you right into Pea’s shoes. AFRID has taken control of sixteen year old Pea’s life, impacting all aspects of her life. It is the monster that lives inside her making  her relationship with foods and others less than stellar. Every day is a struggle. Imagine for one minute  that you’re hungry in a visceral sort of away and you are presented with a plate of the very foods you hate the most and you can’t get yourself to eat it—that is life for Pea.

Elliot adds a host of other characters, each one contributing to the novel in it's own unique way, some might say this book is about  an eating disorder but they would be wrong because it is about so much more. It's about deep seated love, the one you get from you parents, siblings, yourself and others in your circle of life.  It's about finding your voice and learning to accept who you are in order to put yourself on the path to heal.

Elliot's debut novel isn't something you want to miss. I look forward to reading more of her work. She tackled a sensitive subject with sincerity and the voice of Pea is clearly that of  a teen girl. The relationship between Pea and her mother is very typical of teen years but the love that lies between the angst is beautiful. This is one book you don't want to miss. 

- But you knew it wasn't going to happen, and that was okay. Because you'd never get that first kiss back, and you knew it would be one of those first kisses that you were going to want to put in a box and take out every day of your entire l life to relive over and over again.  -  Sad Perfect - Stephanie Elliot 

Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult

Delia Hopkins works search and rescue with her dog, Greta. She is engaged and has a young child. Her father is a widower who raised her alone. Her fiancé is a recovering alcoholic and her best friend (and fiancé) have been in her life since childhood. Life seems idyllic but that's about to change.

A knock on the door turns her life upside down, secrets unravel and life for Delia Hopkins is forever changed along with the lives of those she treasures most.

The first time I read this book, many, many years ago, I was neither impressed or unimpressed. It was just another read this time around I found myself much more emotionally vested. Delia captures the relationship between a daughter and father perfectly (or my version of it at least). I had compassion and understood both sides of the stories this time around when previously I took sides and formed opinions quickly.

I did feel that the ending broke down some characters personalities and their reaction would not have been what was written. I felt that Picoult did not stay true to all her characters which was slightly disappointing.

The Nearness of You by Amanda Eyre Ward

The Nearness of  You by Amanda Eyre Ward

Will be released, February 21, 2017

 

 

 

Suzette and Hyland Kendall have been childless for 15 years. Suzette's childhood was less than stellar and she has no desire to pass on the genetics that were responsible for her mother's mental illness that  eventually landed her in a mental institution. Suzette agrees to using a surrogate to carry a child with Hyland's genes. It's a whirlwind of emotions and choices but the finally find the "right" candidate.

 

 

Dorrie is young and goes into the surrogacy naively but the tides change and she realizes she can't give up the child. She disappears without a trace, leaving Suzette and Hyland heartbroken and searching for their child until a seemingly ordinary day, when a knock on the door changes their lives once again.

 

This book is full of emotions and the characters narrate their own stories. They each have their own voice and their passages are easy to follow. I related to Suzette on so many levels but I suspect many will hate her or not understand her because they can't possible understand or get past her not want children.  I found myself engrossed in this novel and left wanting more.

 

Be warned that the start of the book is the "end" of the book and many readers my not like the ending but I LOVED it. I can say this is her best book to date and I just might pick up some of her other books that I have yet to read.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella

 

 

 

My Not So Perfect was recently released and Sophie Kinsella once again wrote a book that kept me turning the pages and loving the characters! The female characters are strong, intelligent and hilarious.

Katie Brenner is living in London and projecting a life of glamour in her social media but things aren't exactly what they seem. Katie isn't quite living her dream and her job isn't exactly what she's striving for. Her flatmates are odd at best and office politics just aren't her thing.

Life picks up, she meets a potential romantic partner and then.... she is fired. Katie is struggling to put the pieces of her life together but isn't getting any job offers. She begrudgingly returned to her family farm to help her father and step-mother get their new endeavor off the ground.

Unexpected guests arrive at her families new business and the truth begins to unravel.

Expect to laugh out loud and be charmed by this little book! This has become my favorite Kinsella book, yet! Pick up your copy today.

Lisey's Story by Stephen King

Stephen King wrote this book after a brush with death (being hit by a Van) and while recovering from pneumonia. It is a story about living, grieving and the women behind the man.

Lisey's story is about a widower named Lisey. Her husband Scott Landon was a famous author who has passed away. Lisey is left alone, childless and grieving. Her story is told in current day and flash back memories.

Lisey is finally forcing herself to revisit memories, many of them via stories Scott shared with her from his frightening childhood. They haunt her and then Zack McCool enters the picture and the horror notch is turned up.

There is a lot going on in this story. It starts off slow, then speeds up rapidly. I would say this is the closest thing to a love story with a generous heap of horror you will get from King.

Overall an enjoyable, entertaining read.

By The Numbers by Jen Lancaster

By The Numbers is not my favorite Jen Lancaster book. It isn't up to par with her usual work but that doesn't mean I hated it, I just felt "meh" about the whole book.

This story is about a woman named Penny Sinclair who's life is a bit chaotic and her grown child are more than a handful.

Penny puts her home on the market and and then her parents and children needs a place to stay. Penny is pulled in several directions and the peaceful life she imagined seems further away the ever.

A lot of other stuff happens, nothing terribly interesting and then the book ties up a bit to neatly.

There is something really off with this book -- I just can't put my finger on it but if you can please share it with me.

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

My Sister's Keeper is a compelling read.  Jodi beautifully captures what each parties feeling, making you empathetic to each person.

My Sister's Keeper centers around 13 year old Anna. Anna was born for the sole purpose of providing help for her older sister, Kate who has leukemia. Seconds after her birth her umbilical cord was whisked away to use for Kate. Over the next 13 year, Anna undergoes countless procedures to keep her sister alive. Kate's body is failing and she needs a kidney from Anna, Anna files for medical emancipation, causing turmoil in her family home.

As the stories unfold, you find that Anna and Kate's older brother is troubled and the family has mixed emotions regarding Anna's lawsuit. Her lawyer and his life story plays in as a secondary story, which I found very intriguing and was left wanting more.

The first time I read this book, I was satisfied with the ending but this time I found the ending to be a bit melodramatic and trite despite this I recommend the read.

Second Glance by Jodi Picoult

As many of you know, I am rereading Jodi Picoult's novels in the order they were published. I actually never read Second Glance so this is my first introduction to this book.

I had a really difficult time reading this book and it took me weeks (I read more than one book at a time). I had a very difficult time getting into it. There were aspects of the stories I found very interesting (such as the boy with the XP disorder) but overall the story lacked interest.

Picoult uses a different writing style and that may be what makes the story difficult to follow since it doesn't flow the way her other novels do, maybe it is the story line or a combination of both.

This novel has a lot of characters and stories in it.  Land in Comtosook, Vermont  is put up for sale and sold. The local Abenaki Indian tribe protest the land being built on as they insist is is a burial ground. A stream of supernatural events take place and a ghost hunter enters the picture to investigate the property.

He has a host of his own issues but he ends up finding more than he bargained for. There are a bunch of other characters and they all have their own stories to tell -- so much more interesting than others.

This book is basically about, murder, love and ghosts? This is not a page turner or a book I would revisit or recommend.

Gone Without a Trace by Mary Torjussen

Gone Without a Trace by Mary Torjussen

To be released  April 18,  2017

 

 

Unbelievably fantastic. I never saw it coming. Torjuseen does for books what M. Night Shyamalan did for the "Sixth Sense."  "Gone Without a Trace" is a phenomenal psychological thriller. Be prepared to be astonished. I normally see endings coming a mile away but this one had me on the edge of precipice until the big reveal and then I was hanging over the edge, heart beating waiting for it all to wrap up.

 

Hannah is successful and has just been told she will be up for promotion. She is hyped up on positive energy and excitement but it is all about to turn into a black sea of turmoil. She arrives home ready to celebrate, a bottle of wine in her hand when she notices that EVERY SINGLE THING that her boyfriend, Matt owns is gone. There is no trace of Matt or his belongs, furthermore all evidence of him is gone. There are no photos, his social media is wiped out and  her home looks exactly the way it did before Matt moved in but where is Matt? There is no "Dear John" letter, he has vanished.

 

Hannah falls into despair and makes is her mission to locate, Matt.  She becomes obsessive and creates her own circle of madness. Her work life begins to suffer and her relationship with others becomes further constricted Hannah's own personal health begins to suffer and her compulsiveness to locate Matt and get answers becomes unnerving. Her anguish and despair runs of the pages and it becomes evident that Hannah will do whatever it takes to find, Matt --- no matter the cost.

 

Hannah is an unreliable narrator, who keeps you guessing and pulls you into her world, making you empathetic and confused.

 

Expect a long day/night of reading because I couldn't put this book down until it concluded.