Strings Attached, by Judy Blundell

Kit has dreamed of being an entertainer since her childhood days as part of the Corrigan Three.  So it comes as no surprise that she ends up in New York City, pursuing her dreams.  However, everything has a cost.  Kit's dreams may well end up costing her relationship with Billy.  When Billy's father steps in to try to patch things up, the whole situation gets unbelievably twisted.  As the situation evolves, Kit begins to realize that her family and Billy's family have been entangled in ways she never imagined.

Once again, Blundell creates a world of crime filled, thrilling drama for young adult readers. The plot is complex, and one really has to see the book to the end to really grasp the intensity of the story.  The setting spans several years between the mid 1940's an 1950.  At times, it can seem a bit confusing, the way the timeline shifts every chapter, but at the end, it all makes sense.  It is worth pushing through the jerky rhythm of the timeline for the payoff at the end.

The story is complex, and so are the characters.  Many characters are dealing with buried guilt, either real or perceived.  The story also emphasize the serious consequences of one's actions.  I think that both of these themes are important for young adult readers to see in books.  While a lot of the plot deals with intense mature themes, such as criminal behavior and adultery, the book is more than suitable for high school aged readers.  Kit's character is a teenager, and many young adult readers will be able to relate to her.  As an adult reader, I have to say I was thoroughly drawn in by the book.  I would recommend it to readers, adult and young adult alike.


I received this book as part of the Amazon Vine review program.

Surfacing, by Catherine Chisnall

Once again we meet up with Emily and Jamie, who are now dealing with continued consequences of their clandestine affair.  At first, Emily is determined to deal with it alone, with some help from very good friends.  But an accidental meeting with Jamie brings the truth crashing down around everyone.  Emily knows she will not have a happy life with Jamie, but she wonders, will she ever find happiness at all?

In this fantastic sequel to Descending, Chisnall continues Emily's heartbreaking journey.  The reader knows from the first few moments of the book what exactly Emily is facing, and you can not help but feel for her.  I felt like I got to know Emily even better in this book than the first book.  Her situation is one that quite a few women face, and the reader can not help but empathize with her.

Jamie, on the other hand, becomes less and less likable as their story continues.  I found myself wanting to punch him.  Only a good book can elicit such an emotional reaction.  We desperately want a happy ending for Emily, and we know Jamie can never give it to her.

So, if you want to read another fantastic book, that strikes a chord, read this book, and see for yourself if Emily finds her own happiness.


A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher.

What I Saw and How I Lied, by Judy Blundell

Evie thinks she is just on a glamorous vacation with her mother and stepfather.  Evie thinks that Peter is her first real love.  Evie thinks her life is about to begin. Only too late does Evie learn the truth.  The truth about her mother, her step father, Peter, and the world at large.  And once she does learn the truth, she abandons it, in favor of what she thinks is necessary.

I really like books from the WWII and post WWII era, if the setting is done well, and I think this one fits the bill.  Set in the days after the war, when GIs were struggling, and scraping to make a life as civilians.  The setting of the book feels luxurious, and slightly glamorous, decadent even.  Yet real life is made glaringly apparent, time and time again.

I enjoyed the character of Evie, and watching her really become an adult, albeit too soon, over the course of the story.  In the beginning she seems to young, and by the end, she had matured so much.  And while it saddened me to see the turn in some of the characters, I recognized it as being necessary for the story.

There is a lot going on in the story.  Romance. Suspense. Crime. Racism. It is a lot for young adult readers to take in, although they are the targeted demographic.  Yet I think books like these are good for high school readers, letting them see history in a new way.  Letting them learn what the life was like in the late 40s and early 50s.  And although the topics are serious and somewhat adult, there is nothing lurid about the book.

All in all, an intriguing read, making me anxious to see what else Blundell publishes.

This book is from my personal library.

The Liturgical Year, by Joan Chittister

The secular year runs January 1 to December 31.  The federal fiscal year runs October 1 to September 30.  But the liturgical year begins with Advent and runs through the following November.  What is the meaning of the liturgical cycle, the feasts and solemnities?  Why does the liturgical year start with Advent, but mostly focus on Lent?  Learn more about the yearly journey of faith that is the liturgical calendar.

I really enjoyed this book.  It is clearly marketed toward Catholics, since it covers some liturgical aspects that are unique to the Catholic Church, but there is a lot of information that is pertinent to Protestants as well.

This is not the kind of book that I sat down and read in one stretch.  In fact I read it bit by bit over many weeks, which was perfect timing actually.  It helped me enter into the Lenten season with a much clearer understanding of what this time means, personally and liturgically.

I kind of expected a more rigid breakdown of the calendar, but instead the chapters were quite fluid, and drawing from each other, much like a year of life.  I think this is possibly the best lay resource on the liturgical year that I have ever seen.  As this book is part of a series, I would love to read more of the books in the series.

I received a review copy of this book courtesy of the Booksneeze program by Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Descending, by Catherine Chisnall

Emily is a teaching assistant, and her life is somewhat empty.  A stressful situation threw her into the arms of Jamie, one of the students at her school.  Jamie is what one might consider and at risk student, and Emily is lonely, so each are vulnerable in their own way.  As time goes on, a fiery relationship between the two develops.  Where else could this be headed but straight down into disaster?

I absolutely adored this book.  I have been really starting to love contemporary British authors, and this author really sealed the deal for me.  I am a full fledged literary Anglophile.  I thought the story was honest, even if that meant being somewhat raw.  While adults being in sexual relationships with children is a very serious topic, this book makes one understand how it can happen, without actually approving of it.  Everything in the book acknowledges it is wrong.

I really felt a lot of empathy for Emily's character.  I found her to be really well developed, and extraordinarily relatable.  Because the story is from her point of view, we get to know her better than we do Jamie, because I think even Emily does not really know Jamie.  I also loved that gay teen relationships were touched upon, without being exploited.

This is not a simple tale.  It is tangled, messy, and one might not feel right about loving a book about as adult in a relationship with a teenager.  But, the book is excellent.  It quite reminded me of Notes on a Scandal, but with more of an emphasis on the loneliness that led to the affair.  I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

I received a review copy courtesy of the publisher.

Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson

Melinda has lost her everything, herself, her clan.  She is a much different girl than she was before, withdrawn, despondent.  It happened at a party.  People think she was a snitch, but what they don't know is she was trying, desperately, to cry out for help.  What they did not know is that her voice, her will, her self, was lost, no, was stolen.  By rape.

I really wanted to make a vague summary of this book, because, well, because you need to read it.  We all need to read it.  This book has rocked me to my very core.  The story of Melinda is one we all know, in some form.  Either we know girls like her, or we are girls (or boys) like her.  Or something else has damaged us, stolen our voices.  How many people have stories like this that will never ever be told.

I loved this book beyond words.  There are parts of the book that make you chuckle, there are parts of the book that make you weep.  But mostly, the book made me want to speak out, about the terrible injustices that happen to women, to everyone.  The book made me want find Melinda and hold her, hug her, cry with her, and tell her she is beautiful.

The book is considered controversial, because it deals with teen rape, and that is construed as violent and overly sexual.  But rape IS violent, and it DOES happen.  How many kids did this book give a voice too.  Some of the reviews and comments about this book on merchant websites appall and sadden me.  Yes the book is graphic, but no more so, in fact less so, than many popular teen books.  And the message is so important.  Listen below to a poem the author wrote about responses she has gotten to the book.

Because the book does deal with such an intense trauma, I would recommend it for readers 14 and up.  But other than that, I sincerely think everyone should read this book.  Not forced as part of a school curriculum necessarily, because the readers might resist and not get the message.  I think everyone should come to this book in his or her own time.  Read it, and help all those who need to speak.


This book is from my personal library.

Travels Through Love and Time, by Christine Hall Volkoff

Christine is looking for the real meaning of love.  At three very distinct points in her life, she has very intense relationships that will help permanently shape her as a woman.  In their own ways, each relationship reveals a different aspect to intimacy and companionship in addition to physical love within a relationship.  One can only wonder what filled in the blanks for the rest of Christine's life.

What a lovely, lavish book this is.  It did not even strike me until about half way through that the book was about lesbian relationships, because the focus is not so much on who Christine loved, but is instead on the simple fact that she does indeed love.  It is not about the who, it is about the how.  The book is achingly romantic in many ways, and very European.  In fact, at many points I saw the book playing in my mind as a cool French film.  And I loved every minute of it.

We are privy to the development of Christine as a character over many years.  While we see this development in short bursts, we still learn all we need to know about Christine.  As a woman, I found Christine to be a bit cloying, needy, and desperate, but I think that is the type of character that was necessary for this story to work.  Christine could not be a perfect woman, that would have made for a very dull novel.  No, I think Christine's intense vulnerability was necessary for each of the three relationships to work.

I personally left the book wanting to know more about Christine.  The novel is not packed with a lot of action, or a fast moving plot.  Its beauty is in its simplicity.  I felt it sing to my heart, and in many ways I related to Christine, despite the fact that all my relationships have been with men.

I think this would be a good book to any reader who is open minded.  The physical aspects of the relationships are not emphasized or graphic, and again the book is about love.  I hesitate to label this as a gay/lesbian novel, because I think a whole lot of people might miss out on a great story.  Try it, you may be quite surprised.


I received a review copy courtesy of the publisher.