After a 4-year hiatus... (and review)

Shocked that it's been so long. I've missed blogging, reading, and sharing my review with the world, though, so I am back. This time, we'll see just how long I can go without letting it fall by the wayside. Best way to get back into anything? Jump right in! So, without further ado, my review of Above by Isla Morley.




 "Above", by Isla Morley, is a fiction novel about Blythe Halloway, a 16-year-old kidnapped by a conspiracy-theorist/survivalist who believes the End of the World is near, convinced that he and Blythe will be the only chance of humanity's resurgence when they emerge. Almost twenty years later, Blythe finally escapes with her 15-year-old son, conceived, born, and raised in the abandoned missile silo that her captor held them in. Her relief at regaining her freedom is quickly extinguished when she realizes that her captor had actually spared her from the devastating nuclear disaster that occurred a few months after he took her. In the course of finding answers and her family, she encounters a questionable government agency intent on using her son for breeding purposes, since he had no radiation exposure and would create a 'pure' line. They get help by a good Samaritan in escaping yet again, and Blythe is able to piece together the events that unfolded during her captive years. While the main plot is engaging and interesting, I found the story to be too drawn out. The book is suitable to be adapted into a miniseries of sorts, as it seems to be better broken up into shorter sequences. There were certain parts of the book that seemed a bit too fantastical (those 'come on! really?' cliche' moments), such as the survival of two important characters from the disaster despite the overwhelming fatalities in the area. Fortunately, they do not distract too heavily from the story. Where this book excels is in Morley's ability to make the reader start seeing the antagonist almost as a savior. She takes the reader through an introspective of what is good, what is evil, and where those lines get blurred. With a bit of paring down, this book would be quickly added to my recommended 'should-read' list. Rating: 3 out of 5 stars. *I received this as an egalley through NetGalley.*

I'm Back! And I've Brought a Review With Me!

Wow...almost a year. I've missed blogging, but my hectic life has kept me too busy to do much other than spend time with my family and work work work. I'm back in the Corps full-time, and after going to Quantico, then North Carolina, and finally Camp Pendleton, life has settled enough for me to actually indulge in a few things for myself. I've been reading again, which for me is a HUGE luxury, and something I've been really missing in my life. There's some other things going on, which I'm sure I'll divulge as the days go on (I don't want to give away too much too fast!).

I thought it would be appropriate to kick off my return with a review on a great ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) that I received of The Swimming Pool by Holly LeCraw, courtesy of the publisher, Doubleday.



After finishing the book, it was hard to believe that this was LeCraw's freshman work. The story centers on Marcella, a divorced woman who finds herself in a relationship with Jed, the grown son of the man with whom she had an affair seven years before. LeCraw builds the characters so well, that even secondary ones like Marcella's daughter Toni and Jed's sister Callie have developed storylines that really let the reader feel they are a part of this inner circle.
The book gives you a almost-voyeuristic view into the emotions that drive all the characters' actions. The decisions they make would under other writers' hands turn into a story best left to afternoon talk shows and tabloids. LeCraw magnificently delves into the psyche of each character and their choices, and thereby makes the reader empathize with each.
The relationships, of Jed and his sister, Marcella and her ex-husband, are explored on more than just a surface level. The story is told in vignettes bouncing from past to present, and while I usually find that annoying, the forgeous prose that LeCraw uses made the transitions almost seamless.
This is a story of love, hurt, betrayal, forgiveness, and secrets. The characters are on the precipice of falling into a dangerous unknown, and I found myself cheering them on to find ways off their ledges. Even when they indulged in selfish deeds, I still loved them all.
The novel does have a bit of sexual content, but this did not distract from what a great book it is. I would have loved to have the ending a bit more developed, but overall this would definitely be a book I recommend for a summer read!

Book Review--"The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie" by Alan Bradley

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie could very well be the Harry Potter of YA mystery books. Set in 1950 England, the book's heroine, Flavia de Luce is sure to steal your heart.

A precocious eleven-year-old with a love of chemistry, Flavia finds herself in the midst of a murder mystery. She sets out to solve the crime and clear her Father's name. In the process, she discovers more about her parents and about herself than she had bargained for.

The writing is excellent and flows with great ease. The Advance Reading Copy I received was 370 pages long, but moved at such a quick pace that it felt half that. This book was one that lingered in my thoughts even after I'd pause and put it down. The humor is perfectly adapted to be well in line with Flavia's character. The mystery unfolds expertly, never divulging too much, keeping the reader interested, and all the way seeming absolutely reasonable. I dislike crime novels that string a plot along until the mystery is solved and everything tidied up in the last 5 pages. This book is nothing of the sort. Bradley delivers snippets of information in small doses, so the reader feels that they, along with Flavia, are uncovering the truths in a natural way. I, for one, cannot wait for Bradley's next book featuring more adventures with Flavia.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is a great read, one I'm positive that both my mother and my 11-year-old nephew will enjoy as much as I did. I am getting this in the mail right out to them, so that they may be entranced with Flavia and Bradley's writing.

"I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti" by Giulia Melucci---Book Review

Chick Lit with a helping of Roast Chicken. That's what you'll find in I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti by Giulia Melucci. Her memoir focuses on her failed relationships, where the main attraction lays in the meals she cooks and not between her and her lovers.
Melucci finds herself drawn to the wrong type of men. They are unwilling to commit, and Melucci mistakenly hangs on, constantly feeding their bellies while they neglect to feed her need to be loved.
Interspersed in between her tales are some pretty interesting recipes. They are simple yet sound delicious. The writing, itself, though, left me unsatisfied and wanting more. I wanted to see Melucci reflect on her past dating disasters in a way that would allow her to grow from them. Instead, she seems stuck repeating the same mistakes over and over. In the end, it becomes merely frustrating. It might be forgivable for young girl, but for a woman in her 40s, it just becomes frustrating.
I read this book on and off over four days. There were times at the beginning when I really wanted to keep reading so I could find out that the author had finally found true love, but after realizing that it just wasn't going to happen, the novelty wore off.
I'll keep the book for the recipes. I'd recommend it for a long flight or a mindless summer read. Chick lit fans might like the light-hearted reading, but I just can't see this book making a serious reader's "favorite" list.