Book Review: Loyalty by Carol Deeley

Title: Loyalty (Britannica Book 1)
Author: Carol Deeley
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I would like to thank the author for providing a copy of this book for an honest review.

Loyalty is a historical fiction novel that is the beginning of a trilogy. There are druids, kings, queens, fearsome warriors, Romans, and some bad ass women. There are secrets, mystics, forbidden love, and loyalties. I am not going to go into a lot of the plot, because there is an extensive summary on Goodreads or Amazon, and I don't want to take away from your reading experience.

Overall, this is a great first book, I'm happy to say this book didn't have a lot of the first book problems many series have. I am also astounded that the author can seamlessly write multiple genres of work. If you have read any of Carol Deeley's other work, note that this is very different. I am amazed at her ability to write the story that she has regardless of the genre it might be set in. I am not a writer, but I have read other author's attempts to veer out of their genre and it did not go well. That is not the case for this author.

Here's what I like:

1. The amount of background work and historical facts integrated into the novel is very well done. It is clear that the author did a lot of research before and while writing the book.

2. The characters in this book develop well and there is a lot of growth.

3. It was a pretty fast paced read. I moved through the book quickly and there wasn't a lot of drag that I had to go through.

4. I am in love with Boudicca. She is fierce.

5. There are castles and mystical stuff...how can you not love that.

6. I love the diversity in the relationships that Deeley writes. They are amazing. Love is love is love.

7. The first half of the book spans many years, so we were able to see glimpses of the 'past' to put the second half of the book into context.

Here's what could have been better:

1. The editing. This was mostly in tenses and pluralities. I was able to move past it and became immune to it at some point in the novel.

2. As a personal preference there are times when the descriptions seem a little long winded, but I have this problem as a reader in many books by many different authors. So take that as you will, if you enjoy Koontz's writing style then this writing style is perfect for you.

If you enjoy historical fiction or have any interest in Briton, I would definitely recommend this book. I will be reading the next two at some point.

Book Review: Wild by Cheryl Strayed

Title: Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail
By: Cheryl Strayed
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

My short and sweet review of this book. The  title is pretty self explanatory of the contents of this book. One, this is the author's experience of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. Two, it is a memoir so she is basing many of the details off journal entries, memories, and other data points from the time she was doing this hike. Three, she is BAD ASS.

My first experience with Cheryl Strayed's story telling was with her collection of responses from her Dear Sugar column. It was such a great experience. Nonfiction writing is typically one of those things I struggle with as a reader, I know it's good for me and all that, but man, it can be SO boring. Not with Cheryl at the pen. Cheryl has a great way of transcending the pages. I felt like I was hearing her tell me the story. I am inspired by her strength at the young age of 26 and her brutal honesty about her life and how broken she felt. Wild is so incredibly written. I am in love. The journey she takes and shares with all of us is one of HOPE.

No, I do not want to go hike the Pacific Crest Trail, because that does not sound fun AT ALL. However, the lessons Cheryl learned and what she did for her life, was so incredibly inspirational. I enjoyed this book to the last sentence.

People who enjoy stories about people who are on a journey to 'find themselves' or 'heal themselves' will love this book. This is definitely an adult read, but so well worth it.

Mid-September Update

September has slowed down a bit, but it has been so nice in Colorado, that I have been finding myself having adventures with my family instead of inside my books. All the same, I have been able to complete 4 books so far this month.

Here is a recap of my books:

You Only Love Twice (London Steampunk: Blue Blood Conspiracy #3): ⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
If I had to sum this book in one word it that word would be:
DELICIOUS!
I devoured this book in 3 days (6 hours of reading). It is an amazing continuation to the books previous. This is my favorite so far. I love the love story, but I also love the adventure and the mystery and the cliffhanger at the end. DANG IT. Such a good cliffhanger.

The Girl Who Knew DaVinci: ⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This book was pretty good. It is classified as a mystery/thriller novel and there was some of that, but there was also a lot more romance than I expected to see in this book. For someone who enjoys a good romance, this wasn't a problem, but it wasn't what I was expecting to read. If I pick up a mystery/thriller novel, I expect to be on the edge of my seat, not swooning over a love story. Also, this book is the first in a series, but I think it would have made an amazing stand alone book.

Turtles all the Way Down: ⭐⭐⭐.5/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
As my first John Green novel, I wasn't expecting a whole lot. I know his books have been super hyped so I went in with lower expectations than I would have if I had read any of his previous books. The way John Green depicts mental health is intense and really well written. It just seemed like there was a lot of existential thinking for angst-y sixteen year old kids.

Wild: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Wild by Cheryl Strayed was great. It was just what I was looking for. My longer review will be posted in a couple days, but I left uplifted by Cheryl's words and story. I enjoy her writing style and I feel like I know her better now than when I read Dear Sugar. It was just fantastic.


I am currently reading Loyalty by Carol Deeley and it is an intense historical fiction that is definitely a slow burn. I am about a quarter of the way through the book and it continues to be intriguing at every turn. I'm looking forward to what comes next. My goal is to finish two more books in September. Hopefully Loyalty is one of them, and I have been DYING to read The Kiss Quotient

Book Review: Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

Title: Turtles all the Way Dowwn
By: John Green
Edition: Audiobook
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐.5/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


Recap:
Aza is the main character of this book. Along with her best friend Daisy, they are looking to solve a mystery. Daisy drags Aza along to have a 'chance encounter' with Davis. Aza has had a crush on Davis since they were kids. This book is mostly the inner monologue of Aza as she struggles to maintain a grasp on reality. She goes to psychologist visits, she kind of does what she is prescribed. All of this struggle builds up until it breaks, and Aza seeks help in earnest. All while trying to be a normal teenager and have relationships with Daisy as her friend, her mom as her daughter, and Davis as her...something.

My thoughts:
John Green did an amazing job depicting Aza's mental illness and how it doesn't just go away. It doesn't just get better. Aza is a very complex individual, she is clearly struggling with the grief of her father's death that was sudden, but happened years before the setting of this book. She gets so lost in her own mind, that she doesn't understand why she has friends. A lot of the typical teenage stuff happens, your best friend gets a boyfriend and stops hanging out with you. Your mom is hovering and you don't want to talk to her about it. There is all of that 'normal' stuff coupled with the obsessive tendencies Aza has and her struggle to "not be crazy."

It is hard for me to believe that Aza and Davis had such deep thoughts that seemed so far beyond their teenage years. So I struggled with that aspect of the book. I also thought the underlying Picket mystery just seemed so extra. It took a way from Aza's story. I can see how it is necessary to bring certain characters into the story, but it just didn't feel right to me.

I loved the way the story ended. I loved the way it read and the Audiobook was well narrated throughout the book, but especially the ending.

So this is my second completed book for September. My goal is six books, but we will see how it goes.

August Wrap Up: Let's see what I read this month!

August has been quite the month of activity. Every weekend was something different. I am amazed I managed to still squeeze in 5 books this month. All of them, with the exception of one, were AMAZING!

Here's the list:

30th Century: Escape ⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is about a woman who travels to present day to escape the mission plaguing her from the 30th Century. There is time travel, adventure, and romance. All the workings of a good sci-fi, but it fell hard.

Sandalwood ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Sandalwood was a great book about a girl trying to unravel the mystery of the package she received from her estranged grandmother. I could have kept reading about Josie forever. She is a great character with amazing growth.

They Both Die at the End ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Such a sad book by Adam Silvera. This is the journey of two young boys finding adventure, love, and forgiveness on the last day they are alive. Brilliant read.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
So much amazingness in this book. WOW! I loved it. It struck a cord for me. Loneliness is a real thing, depression is a real thing. Regardless of her feelings of loneliness and depression, Eleanor is still completely fine. This is the right answer, if you answer anything other than fine, people will run away or abandon you. READ THIS BOOK




You only Love Twice 🔥🔥🔥🔥/🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
A stunning addition the the London Steampunk series. This one tells the story of Gemma Townsend, the spy, the assassin, the brokenhearted. Will she be able to find love again? She falls in love with the one she wasn't supposed to fall in love with. Will they have a future? This story is quite fun, it is funny, it is action packed, and STEAMY as hell-O.


Overall, it was a good month. I am excited to see what September will bring.

Who has any recommendations for September reads? I am such mood reader, lists are hard.

Book Review: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

Title: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
By: Gail Honeyman
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


Summary:

Eleanor Oliphant is the main character of this story. She is 29 years old, she has had the same job for 9 years, and she is completely alone, but she is fine with that. Eleanor spends a lot of time going through life not really living. When she suddenly realizes that something needs to change. This story is broken into three sections and tells her story of trying to change in order to live. Eleanor starts with her outer appearance and much to her annoyance, the new guy in IT won't leave her alone. Raymond becomes a constant in her life. Eleanor eventually realizes that Raymond is also part of the new life she is missing out on.

My thoughts:

Eleanor has a dry sense of humor that I found myself relating to on so many different levels. She is funny, but no one else sees it. Eleanor finds common social settings difficult to navigate, not knowing what is the right thing to say and when. All of that changes over the course of the book. The character development is remarkable.

The best part of the development is that Eleanor is so bent on changing her life and changing her circumstances that she doesn't realize that her life is already changing and growing and moving forward.

Eleanor is so broken, but she knows that she is supposed to be completely fine. Nothing is supposed to be wrong with a 20-something woman who as a good job and lives well. So, she tells everyone she is fine. No young person is ever supposed to admit that anything is less than fine, is less than happy. This is such a truth that is so hard for so many 20-somethings.

I love the contrast of Raymond and Eleanor's characters. I think they are a great dichotomy. Raymond just won't let up and I find that so heartwarming. Raymond, for all of his disgusting habits, becomes Eleanor's one true friend.

The book was very well paced, although the beginning seemed to move a little more slowly than I was expecting. Once I got through the first 45 pages or so though, I could not put it down. I wanted to know what was next. I wanted to move forward with Eleanor.

Most importantly, the way Gail Honeyman broached the topic of mental illness and the stigmas around all of that was beautiful and meaningful. It wasn't a fleeting topic that some one threw in the story to stir up conversation. Honeyman thought the story out and worked through all the details, it is such a powerful story that is so easy to relate to. Honeyman brought depression into the light and how it can beat you down if you don't feel like you have the support and resources to step up and say you need help. How true is this?

How often do you as a single 20-something, 30-something, 40-something, or working parent, or stay-at-home parent, or single parent struggle and are too ashamed to raise your hand and ask for help? This is a scenario that happens to so many people all over the world and no one wants to talk about it. Well, Honeyman talked about it. Honeyman brought it to life in a way that is real and funny and sad and inspiring and heartbreaking all at the same time. My hat is off to you, Gail.

Book Review: They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

Title: They Both Die at the End
Author: Adam Silvera
Kindle Edition
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


Summary:

Rufus and Mateo both know it is their last day to be alive. They are complete strangers. They are both lonely on their last day for very different reasons. Is it fate that they come together on their last day through an app? They are too young to die, yet it is their day. They make the best out of the day doing everything they can before they die.

My thoughts:

Wow! What?!?! I don't know!! What would I do? There has to be a happy ending! Do they really both die in the end as the title suggests?!?!?!

These are all the things that were zinging through my mind as I read this book. It was a very moving story about two strangers who connect with the world and each other in the most unexpected of ways.

The writing style was good and the conversational texts and parts were very realistic to the way I would assume teenagers would talk. An example of this is the way Rufus uses the word "mad" to describe all of his going ons. Its like the valley girl 'like' that is so excessive it is annoying, yet endearing and accurate.

The changes in POV was also a great way to tell this story. You can infer the connections that are happening, but there isn't a way to know 100% that those connections are what you think they are.

It is hard for me to identify what I didn't like about this book. The concept is basic, yet profound. I wish there had been a character that wasn't completely broken, but that is a stretch. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to have their soul ripped out and repaired. You will cry, you will fall in love, you will think. This book becomes a very introspective book. Would it be better to know you are going to die that day so you can live without regrets, or would you rather not know and hope you die without any regrets? It is a self fulfilling prophecy? I don't know the answers to these questions, I wish I did.