The Light Between Oceans
By:  M.L. Stedman

Published:  2012

# of pages:  343

Quote:  "Isabel was squeezing the girl to her, sobbing at the touch of her, the legs fitting snugly around her waist and the head slotting automatically into the space beneath her chin, like the final piece of a jigsaw puzzle."  -p. 273

Official description:

After four harrowing years on the Western Front, Tom Sherbourne returns to Australia and takes a job as the lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock, nearly half a day’s journey from the coast. To this isolated island, where the supply boat comes once a season and shore leaves are granted every other year at best, Tom brings a young, bold, and loving wife, Isabel. Years later, after two miscarriages and one stillbirth, the grieving Isabel hears a baby’s cries on the wind. A boat has washed up onshore carrying a dead man and a living baby. 
Tom, whose records as a lighthouse keeper are meticulous and whose moral principles have withstood a horrific war, wants to report the man and infant immediately. But Isabel has taken the tiny baby to her breast. Against Tom’s judgment, they claim her as their own and name her Lucy. When she is two, Tom and Isabel return to the mainland and are reminded that there are other people in the world. Their choice has devastated one of them. 
M. L. Stedman’s mesmerizing, beautifully written novel seduces us into accommodating Isabel’s decision to keep this “gift from God.” And we are swept into a story about extraordinarily compelling characters seeking to find their North Star in a world where there is no right answer, where justice for one person is another’s tragic loss. 
The Light Between Oceans is exquisite and unforgettable, a deeply moving novel.

My opinion:  "Deeply moving" describes this book perfectly.  I don't even know where to begin.  I don't even know how much I liked this book.  But I can say that I related to it.  I felt what the characters were feeling.  I made friends with Isabel, I was on her side.  I smiled, I cried.

Isabel goes through 2 miscarriages and a stillbirth.  Her first miscarriage occurred on May 31.  2 days after my own miscarriage.  She feels shame for not being able to carry a baby.  How I relate to that...

Years later she finally becomes a mother who can hold a baby in her arms.  But fate is against her, a ticking time bomb, it's a matter of time before it all explodes around her.

I was on Isabel's side, but really, there is definitely no right or wrong side in this story.  It's just like life.  It's not fair.  Someone is going to be hurt, no one deserves it.  I was just rooting for Isabel because she experienced something I've experienced and I understood when she felt betrayed and angry.  At the end, Isabel does have a choice, which is more than many people would receive her in situation.  She doesn't choose the way I would have chosen.  I wanted to scream at her.  I was crying so much at the end of this book, but I respect the ending even if I wasn't happy with it.

I do recommend this book to all adults, but with the warning that it will be a hard read for those who have experienced miscarriage and infant loss.  It will pull at the heartstrings of all mothers and make us all so thankful for our beautiful children.


Why I gave this book 4/5 stars:  Beautifully written, characters with depth, a hard read, one that made me cry and wasn't completely satisfying at the end.


Other reviews:
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The Graveyard Book
By: Neil Gaiman

Challenge:  R.I.P. VII

Published:  2008

# of pages:  320

Quote:
"There were three of them there, then, and Amabella was introducing Bod and he was shaking hands and saying, 'Charmed, I am sure,' because he could greet people politely over nine hundred years of changing manners."

"Really, he thought, if you couldn't trust a poet to offer sensible advice, who could you trust?"

Official description: After the grisly murder of his entire family, a toddler wanders into a graveyard where the ghosts and other supernatural residents agree to raise him as one of their own.
Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a sprawling graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead. There are dangers and adventures in the graveyard for a boy. But if Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will come under attack from the man Jack—who has already killed Bod's family . . . 
Beloved master storyteller Neil Gaiman returns with a luminous new novel for the audience that embraced his New York Times bestselling modern classic Coraline. Magical, terrifying, and filled with breathtaking adventures, The Graveyard Book is sure to enthrall readers of all ages.

My opinion:  It was weird going to the children's section of the library to find this book.  I know that children's literature includes kids in middle school, but it just seems weird that this is in the same genre as picture books.

When it comes to ages, I would let my 5th grader and older read this book.  It starts out with the murder of a boy's family, which is pretty disturbing.  My heart ached thinking of the toddler boy wandering off on his own, even though it meant he was saved. I couldn't help but think of my own little boys wandering out of the house at night.

The book isn't all scary and intense though.  Most of it is pretty lighthearted, actually.  Bod is able to interact with all sorts of "people" from all sorts of time periods.  He learns to speak to adults and learn the truth about historic events from first hand sources.  I love how he was raised by everyone in a safe community, even if they were all ghosts.

The end of the book is definitely bittersweet.  Bod has so many adventures and meets so many people throughout the different chapters of the book.  The novel is a little disjointed at times, since some chapters almost seem like individual stories in themselves, but most of it ties together at the end.

I recommend this to children, young adults, and adults.  It isn't scary, but the beginning is a little and there are intense parts.  It is supernatural, but it isn't over the top or really serious.


Why I gave this book 4/5 stars:  Very unique story; interesting and likable characters; good "growing up" story about a boy who makes mistakes, but learns from them.

Other reviews:
Literary Musings
things mean a lot
Bold. Blue. Adventure.
Bookfoolery and Babble
You Can Never Have Too Many Books

Have you reviewed this? Let me know and I'd be happy to post yours as well.

It's that time of year again!  I've been looking forward to R.I.P. for months, but as always, was late signing up.

The event officially starts September 1st and runs through October 31st.

Here's what it's all about:



I'll be participating in Peril the First and reading 4 books this year.

1.  Jamaica Inn  by: Daphne du Maurier
2.  The Red Tree  by: Caitlin Kiernan
3.  The Graveyard Book  by: Neil Gaiman
4.  We Have Always Lived in the Castle  by: Shirley Jackson


Are you participating as well?  I'd love to hear what you're reading and/or watching!


Previous R.I.P. challenges:
VI
IV

The Winter Sea
By: Susanna Kearsley
Published: 2008
# of pages: 527

Official description:  It is 2008 and Carrie McClelland can't hit the right note for her next novel, but an unplanned detour in Scotland, and a stop at the castle that inspired Count Dracula, sets her on a different path; a path that took her back in time exactly 300 years, to that same castle, and to a rebellion doomed to failure. Alternating between the contemporary setting and the past, The Winter Sea takes us at every turn into little known worlds; historical footnotes writ large, a history of Scotland and the Jacobite rebellion of 1708 and the possibility of genetic memory. Historical fiction at its best and Susanna Kearsley at hers, The Winter Sea evokes the writing of Thomas Raddall, Daphne Du Maurier, and Mary Stewart.

My opinion:  Wow! I didn't think I'd like this book much when I started it, but I ended up loving it. It's 2 books in one, and I love the way the author wove them together. I especially enjoyed the character of Sophia and the historical story line.  The time period of the historical story was neat.  I haven't read many books set in historic Scotland and although I've heard things about the Stewarts and the Union, I didn't know much, so this book was very educational for me.

Why I gave this book 5/5 stars: Well written, enjoyable characters, "what happens next?", I want to go to Scotland and see Slains Castle!

Other reviews:
Bookfoolery and Babble

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The Lies of Locke Lamora
By: Scott Lynch
Series: The Gentleman Bastard Sequence
Published: 2006
# of pages: 499

Official description: In this stunning debut, author Scott Lynch delivers the wonderfully thrilling tale of an audacious criminal and his band of confidence tricksters. Set in a fantastic city pulsing with the lives of decadent nobles and daring thieves, here is a story of adventure, loyalty, and survival that is one part Robin Hood, one part Ocean’s Eleven, and entirely enthralling.…
An orphan’s life is harsh–and often short–in the island city of Camorr, built on the ruins of a mysterious alien race. But born with a quick wit and a gift for thieving, Locke Lamora has dodged both death and slavery, only to fall into the hands of an eyeless priest known as Chains–a man who is neither blind nor a priest. A con artist of extraordinary talent, Chains passes his skills on to his carefully selected “family” of orphans–a group known as the Gentlemen Bastards. Under his tutelage, Locke grows to lead the Bastards, delightedly pulling off one outrageous confidence game after another. Soon he is infamous as the Thorn of Camorr, and no wealthy noble is safe from his sting.
Passing themselves off as petty thieves, the brilliant Locke and his tightly knit band of light-fingered brothers have fooled even the criminal underworld’s most feared ruler, Capa Barsavi. But there is someone in the shadows more powerful–and more ambitious–than Locke has yet imagined.
Known as the Gray King, he is slowly killing Capa Barsavi’s most trusted men–and using Locke as a pawn in his plot to take control of Camorr’s underworld. With a bloody coup under way threatening to destroy everyone and everything that holds meaning in his mercenary life, Locke vows to beat the Gray King at his own brutal game–or die trying.…

My opinion:  This was such a unique and well-written book!  Lynch has created a very cool world as the setting.  The story is set in the city of Camorr, which is a group of islands separated by canals and joined by bridges.  Half of the city is wealthy/middle class and the other half is poor and neglected...the perfect atmosphere for the Right People, the society of thieves who all pay homage to Capa Barsavi, the king of thieves.

I loved all of the Gentleman Bastards.  Locke, Jean, the Salvara twins, and Bug.  Lynch did a great job with character development.  The small group of con artists are funny, witty, and smart.  They are also realistic.  I felt like I knew them and cared about them.  That makes the best books in my opinion.

They story line is also well-written.  The timeline switches from current events to Locke's past, as an orphan child joining the Gentleman Bastards.  It isn't hard to follow, but it all ends up coming together at just the right times.  There are plot twists, some shocking surprises, and a lot of action.

There's a lot of bad language, especially at the beginning.  But unless this is really bothersome to you, please give it a chance because it eases up and the story is well worth it!


Why I gave this book 5/5 stars:  Great setting, realistic characters, well-written storyline.

Other reviews:
things mean a lot
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The Duggars: 20 and Counting!: Raising One of America's Largest Families-How They Do It
By: Michelle & Jim Bob Duggar
Published: 2008
# of pages: 240





Official Description: 

This practical, positive book reveals the many parenting strategies that Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar use as they preside over America’s best-known mega-family. Each time a new baby arrives, the press from around the world clamors for interviews and information. Visitors are amazed to find seventeen (baby number eighteen is due January 1, 2009) well-groomed, well-behaved, well-schooled children in a home that focuses on family, financial responsibility, fun—and must importantly, faith.Readers will learn about the Duggars’ marriage—how they communicate effectively, make family decisions, and find quality time alone. They’ll discover how the Duggars manage to educate all their children at home, while providing experiences that go beyond the family walls, through vacations and educational trips. And they’ll see how the Duggar family manages their finances and lives debt-free—even when they built their own 7,000-square-foot house.Answering the oft asked question—How can I do with one or two children what you do with seventeen(soon to be eighteen)?—Jim Bob and Michelle reveal how they create a warm and welcoming home filled with what Michelle calls “serene chaos.” They show how other parents can succeed whether they’re rearing a single child or several. With spiritual insights, experience-based wisdom,  practical tips, and plenty of humorous and tender anecdotes, the Duggars answer the questions that pour into the family’s Web site on a daily basis—especially after every national media interview and TV appearance—including their segments on the Discovery Health Channel’s “Meet the Duggars” series.

My opinion:  I started reading this book out of idle curiosity, not expecting to learn anything from it or even finish it.

Boy, was I wrong! This book was the answer to several prayers. From feeling insecure about new ministry responsibilities to parenting issues to what to do with some extra space in our house, this book has given me answers and peace.


The overall tone is very encouraging.  I expected to feel inadequate and guilty while reading this, like I often do when hearing about "perfect" families.   But although the Duggars have qualities and ways of doing things that I'd like to emulate, I feel encouraged and motivated.  This books makes it obvious that the Duggars aren't all that different from me.  They worked hard for what they have and were blessed in the process.  For some reason I thought they had always been where they're at now.  


I really believe that non-Christians will also find this book interesting and encouraging.  While the Duggars do share their faith in the book and talk about it throughout, it isn't pushy or really detailed.  


I just want to add, when I say I want to emulate the Duggars in some aspects of their lives, I do NOT mean that I will be having 19 kids!  I understand why they do, but do not at all feel convicted to do the same.



Why I gave this book 5/5 stars: An answer to prayers, easy to read, helpful and practical advice throughout, very uplifting and motivating.

Other reviews:
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Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey
By: The Countess of Carnarvon
Published: 2011
# of pages: 292

Official description: Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey tells the story behind Highclere Castle, the real-life inspiration for the hit PBS show Downton Abbey, and the life of one of its most famous inhabitants, Lady Almina, the 5th Countess of Carnarvon and the basis of the fictional character Lady Cora Crawley.  Drawing on a rich store of materials from the archives of Highclere Castle, including diaries, letters, and photographs, the current Lady Carnarvon has written a transporting story of this fabled home on the brink of war. Much like her Masterpiece Classic counterpart, Lady Almina was the daughter of a wealthy industrialist, Alfred de Rothschild, who married his daughter off at a young age, her dowry serving as the crucial link in the effort to preserve the Earl of Carnarvon's ancestral home.  Throwing open the doors of Highclere Castle to tend to the wounded of World War I, Lady Almina distinguished herself as a brave and remarkable woman. This rich tale contrasts the splendor of Edwardian life in a great house against the backdrop of the First World War and offers an inspiring and revealing picture of the woman at the center of the history of Highclere Castle.

My opinion:  I saw this book at a small bookstore I visited in a town near Chicago.  I was intrigued since I had just started watching the series "Downton Abbey" on Netflix.  I had heard a lot about it for months and when I finally started watching it I fell in love!!  So this book caught my eye and I checked it out at the library when I came home.

I started reading it while reading a novel and it was hard for me to get into.  I figured it was just a boring history book and put it on the back burner.  But after a couple of weeks it was the only book I had left so I gave it my full attention.

Like I said, it took awhile, but I ended up really enjoying it!  It's not how I thought it would be, more of a day to day "story" of the family and servants.  For some reason I expected it to be more like the TV series, just with real historical figures.  But it's more like a history book and covers an extensive time period.  However, the Carnarvons' lives were filled with drama.  The entire family was involved in WWI and then Lord Carnarvon and Almina were involved in Egyptology, especially the discovering of "King Tut's" tomb along with Howard Carter.  I used to love reading about ancient Egypt and the discoveries of the Valley of the Kings.  It's neat to think that I once read about Carnarvon, but don't remember his name (instead Howard Carter's stuck in my memory).

It's kind of odd to think about this being the inspiration for "Downton Abbey."  I don't really get it.  Besides the fact that Lord Carnarvon married Almina for her money to save Highclere just like the Earl marries Cora for her money to save Downton, there doesn't seem to be much of a connection.  Of course, I haven't watched Season 2 yet...which I gather takes place during WWI.

I recommend this book to lovers of history and those who want to read an overview of WWI.  I think this would be an interesting way for high schoolers to learn about the time period.

Why I gave this book 4/5 stars:  Interesting record of historical events, especially WWI and the discovery of "King Tut."  Sometimes frustrating when it discovered people that were unrelated to the Carnarvons or their stories.  


Other reviews:  
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One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd
By: Jim Fergus
Published: 1998
# of pages: 320

Official description: One Thousand White Women is the story of May Dodd and a colorful assembly of pioneer women who, under the auspices of the U.S. government, travel to the western prairies in 1875 to intermarry among the Cheyenne Indians. The covert and controversial "Brides for Indians" program, launched by the administration of Ulysses S. Grant, is intended to help assimilate the Indians into the white man's world. Toward that end May and her friends embark upon the adventure of their lifetime. Jim Fergus has so vividly depicted the American West that it is as if these diaries are a capsule in time.

My opinion:  I liked that the author re-wrote history (with an explanation at the beginning).  The "historic event" he chooses is original and interesting.  If only someone else could take the same idea and write a better novel!  I didn't like the main character, May Dodd, at all.  She was hard to relate to, but also didn't seem realistic at all.  It felt like she was a modern day woman, an unfeminine modern day woman, put back in the 1800s.  I'm sure there were liberal, unconventional women in 1875, but not like May Dodd was in this novel.  I can't imagine even a modern day woman reacting the way May reacts when placed in a completely different environment, culture, and people group who don't speak the same language.  She wasn't a realistic woman, and that's what the book is about.  The physical and mental journey of white women whose lives are turned upside down.

She blasts everyone whose viewpoint isn't like her own.  That also includes Christians and I felt like Fergus realized he'd been too harsh and then included a Christian character that May likes at the end.  The reader doesn't get to know that character well, so it was odd when he seemed to be an important character at the very end.  Once again, I just felt like it was an obvious way for Fergus to pacify anyone he may have offended.

Most of all, I felt that it would have been better if there had been a different ending.  Since Fergus was rewriting history, couldn't he have rewritten history?  I think that would have been really neat.


Why I gave this book 2/5 stars:  Original story, interesting (and hopefully accurate!) facts about the Cheyenne history and culture in the late 1800s, unbelievable main character, too many unrealistic viewpoints for that period of history.

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Secrets of Eden
By: Chris Bohjalian

Published: 2010

# of pages: 362

Official description: From the bestselling author of The Double Bind, Midwives, andSkeletons at the Feast comes a novel of shattered faith, intimate secrets, and the delicate nature of sacrifice.
"There," says Alice Hayward to Reverend Stephen Drew, just after her baptism, and just before going home to the husband who will kill her that evening and then shoot himself. Drew, tortured by the cryptic finality of that short utterance, feels his faith in God slipping away and is saved from despair only by a meeting with Heather Laurent, the author of wildly successful, inspirational books about . . . angels. 
Heather survived a childhood that culminated in her own parents' murder-suicide, so she identifies deeply with Alice’s daughter, Katie, offering herself as a mentor to the girl and a shoulder for Stephen – who flees the pulpit to be with Heather and see if there is anything to be salvaged from the spiritual wreckage around him.But then the State's Attorney begins to suspect that Alice's husband may not have killed himself. . .and finds out that Alice had secrets only her minister knew.
Secrets of Eden is both a haunting literary thriller and a deeply evocative testament to the inner complexities that mark all of our lives.  Once again Chris Bohjalian has given us a riveting page-turner in which nothing is precisely what it seems.  As one character remarks, “Believe no one.  Trust no one.  Assume all of our stories are suspect.”

My opinion:  Didn't like it very much.  It was depressing with all of the domestic violence and disfunctional characters.  The whole angel thing was weird and didn't really fit with the main story line.  I liked the plot twist at the very end (the last few pages!), but I wish the rest of the book had been less disjointed and the characters easier to relate to.

Why I gave this book 2/5 stars:  Depressing, graphic violence descriptions, weird characters that were hard to relate to, a whole theme in the book that wasn't really developed and didn't go with the rest of the book.

Other reviews:
S. Krishna's Books

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The Night Strangers
By: Chris Bohjalian
Published: 2011
# of pages: 375

Official description: From the bestselling author of The Double Bind, Skeletons at the Feast, and Secrets of Eden, comes a riveting and dramatic ghost story. In a dusty corner of a basement in a rambling Victorian house in northern New Hampshire, a door has long been sealed shut with 39 six-inch-long carriage bolts.             The home's new owners are Chip and Emily Linton and their twin ten-year-old daughters. Together they hope to rebuild their lives there after Chip, an airline pilot, has to ditch his 70-seat regional jet in Lake Champlain after double engine failure. Unlike the Miracle on the Hudson, however, most of the passengers aboard Flight 1611 die on impact or drown. The body count? Thirty-nine – a coincidence not lost on Chip when he discovers the number of bolts in that basement door. Meanwhile, Emily finds herself wondering about the women in this sparsely populated White Mountain village – self-proclaimed herbalists – and their interest in her fifth-grade daughters. Are the women mad? Or is it her husband, in the wake of the tragedy, whose grip on sanity has become desperately tenuous?   
The result is a poignant and powerful ghost story with all the hallmarks readers have come to expect from bestselling novelist Chris Bohjalian: a palpable sense of place, an unerring sense of the demons that drive us, and characters we care about deeply. 
The difference this time? Some of those characters are dead.

My opinion: First of all, why is the book called The Night Strangers?  The title doesn't match the story at all.  Secondly, this is an intense, but not too scary, book!  I enjoyed reading it because it kept my attention, made me wonder and think about what was going on, and creeped me out without really scaring me.  I thought the blend of story lines was unique and while I was wondering if they would collide in a messy heap, I was pleasantly surprised when it all came together at the end.  I particularly liked the ending because it was unexpected and original.

I didn't connect with any of the characters and found myself frustrated with the character of Emily throughout the book.  Her husband is going through PTSD and depression, but she isn't very supportive or involved in his life.  And when things start getting weird, she doesn't question it until it's too late.

I can imagine this book being made into a movie.  It wasn't in depth enough (as far as the characters) for me to really like, but it was entertaining.  I recommend it to fans of horror, suspense, and paranormal fiction.  It has one brief sex scene and some language, but nothing overwhelming.  There's also a theme of witchcraft throughout the book.

I have to mention: I really liked another of Bohjalian's books called Midwives.  Excellent writing on an issue that is so controversial (at least where I live!).  It's also just a good story.

Why I gave this book 3/5 stars:  Interesting, easy read, unique story line, characters not easy to relate to, story line not engrossing enough to keep me completely hooked.

Other reviews:
S. Krishna's Books
Chrisbookarama

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