Secrets of Love Story Bridge by Phaedra Patrick is a book I shared for a recent blog tour stop here.
It's Always the Husband by Michelle Campbell is a thriller about how the past is never really gone. This one focuses on three women who met as college roommates. In the present, one woman is pushed to the (literal) edge. Which of these women has gotten to this point, and why? The book treks back through when these women first met to show the complexities of their friendship, as well as other factors, including their romantic relationships. In the present, the story focuses on where the women are now - individually and as a collective. The threading of past and present worked for this one as seeing the outcomes make you wonder how things got to that point. The story was very much a "slow burn" as the pieces started to come together. This one also had a really good reveal to thread all the pieces together, including one last twist in the mix. With me, I often just want/need a good thriller in my life, and this was able to meet that need.
The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester was just a delight of a middle grade read. The story focuses on Piper McCloud. Piper has learned she can fly - literally. However, when she starts using her abilities, people are freaked out and do not respond favorably. Her parents decide to send her off to a school for students with special abilities. While initially this school seems like a great place to be for these kids, it's quickly revealed there may be much, much more happening. This was a wonderful blend of science fiction and mystery and drama. It was a pageturner as the kids tried to figure out the realities of their school as the truth was complicated. I also loved that each of the students had a story which added depth, and I became invested in their journey. I love a middle grade novel that has heart, and this was definitely that. The bonus was the heart came with all the thrills. There were twists I didn't see coming up until the very end. This was a magical little world, and I just devoured the story of these special kids!
Untamed by Glennon Doyle was just phenomenal and wonderful and everything I needed in this life. I listened to the audiobook version which she read and added so much emotion and depth. I "read" as I went on walks, and I found I wanted my walks to go on and on and on, so I could listen. I will say I also want to read this in book form as there were so many passages I wanted to highlight and capture to revisit. This is a beautiful collection of essays that are teeming with honesty. As I listened, I found myself nodding, smiling, crying, and just simply saying, "Yes!" as she hit on all the truths. What I appreciate about her writing is how she takes you on a journey. It isn't just her preaching at you, rather she explains how she arrived at a realization as if she's reflecting with you. She does that by telling you about the "tough stuff," and then she tells you when she had that learning moment where she found that clarity and grace for herself. Y'all, I related to so much of this book. She focuses much of this collection on women and the struggles we endure. She does a masterful job of naming so many emotions and experiences and working through their impact. This one gave me so very much to consider, and I want to return to it again (and again and again) to soak it all up. I needed these words y'all - now and continually!
Onto the next ones!
