Title: The Actor and the Housewife
Author: Shannon Hale
Genre: LDS Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Spice: 0.5 / 5
Format: Hard Cover
Pages: 339
Reason Read: Book Club
Rating:
My Thoughts
I normally don’t like LDS fiction. In fact, I hate it. It’s so unrealistic because it doesn’t usually show any part of the real world and what it’s actually like to live in this life. I was very hesitant to read this book, especially when I found out the main character was Mormon. However, having said all of that, I was pleasantly surprised by this book.
I loved that some of the characters swore. I especially loved that Felix Callahan, a non-Mormon actor, swore. (Swearing is usually a no-no in LDS fiction whether the character is Mormon or not.) It made the story much more believable. I’m also glad Hale didn’t go overboard with the swearing and used swear words in all the right places to be poignant.
I loved the discussion between Becky and Felix about God. Although I personally never say “god” in a non-religious, non-respectful way, I understand that others do. I understand that it’s just a word to a lot of people. And, I loved that when Felix said it as just a word, it was uncapitalized and created some great discussion. Plus, at the end when you could see Felix possibly changing his mind about God, he told Becky, “I thank God for you,” capitalized, which said a lot.
I was expecting a very light and fluffy book. I was expecting lots of humor. I was expecting swoon-worthy moments. I did get all that, but I also got a great depth of emotion. I haven’t cried so hard while reading a book since 2007 when I first read HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS. At first, I hated that aspect of the story. It made me smad and it made me miss my mom. Now that I’ve been able to think about my emotions and deal with them, I’ve realized that I’m glad Hale did what she did. I’m glad she let the story take her where it did. It made it so much more deep and meaningful. And, it endeared me to the characters even more than I already was.
One of the things I enjoyed most about this book is the exploration of all the different types of love–lust, friendship, infatuation, and deep, meaningful true love (and the fact that that kind of love takes work). There was a small part of me that wanted Becky to be with Felix, but I loved the story more because Becky stayed true to her husband and faith. I also loved the lack of a Hollywood ending because even though the story is already unrealistic, it was still believable in the book world. However, if it had had a Hollywood ending, then it wouldn’t have been believable in the least bit and I would’ve hated it.
A Different Blue
Author: Amy Harmon
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Spice: 1 / 5
Format: Kindle
Pages: 322
Reason Read: Recommended
Rating:
My Thoughts
I was a little hesitant to read because A DIFFERENT BLUE because it’s a self-published novel and I’ve been burned by them before. However, I’m glad I gave it a chance because I really ended up enjoying it.
It’s a story of redemption, love, and finding oneself. Blue’s story broke my heart and also gave me reason to be happy. She was such a strong person without even knowing it. She was also very selfless. I was captivated by her strength and will to survive. I rooted for her every step of the way on her amazing journey of self-discovery.
Wilson was definitely a character I could sink my teeth into. *wink wink* He was so well-developed and a great mentor and love interest for Blue. He was smart, charming, and British–sexy accent and all. I really loved all his Britishisms. And, like many of his students, he probably could’ve been the ugliest man alive and I’d still have loved him because of his accent and his personality. Fortunately, for the reader, he was described as being pretty darn good looking.
I loved Blue and Wilson’s relationship. I loved that they built their friendship and love for one another over time, not immediately. While the sexual tension was strong and fun to read, I loved that they helped each other and that their relationship wasn’t built purely on lust. It actually seemed like real love.
My only gripe is that I feel like the book could’ve done with more editing. I’m not talking about spelling errors, missing words, or extra words (although there was that too). I’m talking about continuity problems. There were a few times I was ripped out of the story because the wrong name was written. It halted the flow and the emotion I was feeling.
However, despite its editing flaws, this is worth the read.
The Book Thief
Author: Markus Zusak
Genre: Historical Fiction, Young Adult
Format: Paperback
Pages: 552
Reason Read: Buddy Read
Rating:
My Thoughts
I tried to read this once before, but I only got to the end of Part 3. For some reason, I was having a hard time with it. I don’t know why. I’m glad I gave it a second chance because I ended up loving THE BOOK THIEF.
It was still very hard to read because of the subject matter. It’s not light or funny. It’s deep, thought-provoking, and extremely sad. Near the end, I was very angry and almost didn’t finish the book. But, I realized that is what Hitler did. He caused so much heartache, so much death, and so much sorrow that I felt I’d be doing Liesel Meminger a disservice if I didn’t finish her story.
I’ve never read a story about World Ward II from a German POV before. It’s always been from a Jewish POV or from the POV of the oppressed. What I didn’t realize is that most of the Germans were oppressed as well. Many of them drank Hitler’s kool-aid and helped cause death and heartache, but many were just trying to survive the horrific time they lived. They didn’t know how to live under Hitler’s rule. Some people, like Hans Hubermann and his family, did brave things like hide Jews and help them when they were being paraded to concentration camps, and they were punished for it. Their families were broken up. It was sad all around what Hitler did to his own people.
Markus Zusak’s words and writing style were a perfect way to tell this story. The imagery and the characters helped endear this story to me. Death couldn’t have been a better narrator than he was for a story like this. It made me feel far more than I thought I could. At one point, I even felt sorry for Death because he was doing what he was meant to do even if he didn’t want to do it.
I loved the power of words. I loved how THE BOOK THIEF showed that words are the reason for everything. Some words breed hate and chaos while others breed love and friendship and the more positive words are the ones that last, the ones that make life worth living and fighting for.
Blackmoore
Author: Julianne Donaldson
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance
Spice: 0.5 / 5
Format: Paperback
Pages: 304
Reason Read: Just Because
Rating:
My Thoughts
I absolutely adored BLACKMOORE. I was gripped from the beginning. The tension and longing between Kate and Henry was enough to keep me wanting more. They were the best of friends. They both loved the other without knowing if their love was reciprocated. They feared crossing the line between friendship and something more, yet they couldn’t not cross that line. They were compelled to because of their feelings for one another. They cared for one another so deeply they were willing to sacrifice their own happiness to ensure the other’s happiness. They just didn’t realize that neither could be happy without the other.
It was very refreshing to read a romance without a love triangle. Miss St. Claire was there vying for Henry’s love too, but there was really no competition. The true obstacles were Kate’s and Henry’s families, social status, and propriety.
I loved the mystery and that you didn’t know the reasons for Kate’s decisions at first. I loved that her decisions unraveled with the story. I loved learning about Kate as Henry did. And, one of the best parts was that the ending wasn’t predictable. Although, I do wish the ending was a little less ambiguous than it was.
I really enjoyed the little bit of history involved in the story, learning more about Robin Hood’s Bay and the local legends of the time. The setting was perfect with the backdrop of Blackmoore nestled between the sea and the moors. It made the story and setting “hauntingly beautiful.”
The Actor And The Housewife
Author: Shannon Hale
Genre: LDS Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Spice: 0.5 / 5
Format: Hard Cover
Pages: 339
Reason Read: Book Club
Rating:
My Thoughts
I normally don’t like LDS fiction. In fact, I hate it. It’s so unrealistic because it doesn’t usually show any part of the real world and what it’s actually like to live in this life. I was very hesitant to read this book, especially when I found out the main character was Mormon. However, having said all of that, I was pleasantly surprised by this book.
I loved that some of the characters swore. I especially loved that Felix Callahan, a non-Mormon actor, swore. (Swearing is usually a no-no in LDS fiction whether the character is Mormon or not.) It made the story much more believable. I’m also glad Hale didn’t go overboard with the swearing and used swear words in all the right places to be poignant.
I loved the discussion between Becky and Felix about God. Although I personally never say “god” in a non-religious, non-respectful way, I understand that others do. I understand that it’s just a word to a lot of people. And, I loved that when Felix said it as just a word, it was uncapitalized and created some great discussion. Plus, at the end when you could see Felix possibly changing his mind about God, he told Becky, “I thank God for you,” capitalized, which said a lot.
I was expecting a very light and fluffy book. I was expecting lots of humor. I was expecting swoon-worthy moments. I did get all that, but I also got a great depth of emotion. I haven’t cried so hard while reading a book since 2007 when I first read HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS. At first, I hated that aspect of the story. It made me smad and it made me miss my mom. Now that I’ve been able to think about my emotions and deal with them, I’ve realized that I’m glad Hale did what she did. I’m glad she let the story take her where it did. It made it so much more deep and meaningful. And, it endeared me to the characters even more than I already was.
One of the things I enjoyed most about this book is the exploration of all the different types of love–lust, friendship, infatuation, and deep, meaningful true love (and the fact that that kind of love takes work). There was a small part of me that wanted Becky to be with Felix, but I loved the story more because Becky stayed true to her husband and faith. I also loved the lack of a Hollywood ending because even though the story is already unrealistic, it was still believable in the book world. However, if it had had a Hollywood ending, then it wouldn’t have been believable in the least bit and I would’ve hated it.
Between Shades of Gray
Author: Ruta Sepetys
Genre: Historical Fiction, Young Adult
Format: Paperback
Pages: 384
Reason Read: Book Club
Rating:
My Thoughts
BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY was a very powerful, moving, horrifying tale. I knew Stalin killed more people than Hitler did, but I had no idea what he did to the Baltic States. I had no idea the horrors they had to face when they were deported and sent to labor camps in Siberia. The story was engaging and full of information and history. I loved the MC and that she was an amalgamation of real people Sepetys learned about in her research and interviews with survivors and their families. I also thought the author note was just as compelling to read as the story was.