BOOKS READ:
I finished three books this weeks. They were very different from one another, yet there were some similarities!
Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz. READ IT, AND THEN GET THE SECOND BOOK! This is the first book in a duology, the second book released on February 28th. I absolutely love the protagonist, Hazel Sinnett. She’s always been fascinated with medicine. She’d much rather become a surgeon than marry. Yet women aren’t supposed to have an opinion or a voice, much less a medical degree. She gets kicked out of a renowned surgeon’s lecture for being female, but that doesn’t stop her. She makes a deal with the doctor; if she passes the medical examination he’ll allow her to pursue her medical career. Since she doesn’t have access to the resources (including bodies!) as the male students, she has to get a little creative. Doing so uncovers a host of secrets buried with the bodies of Edinburgh.
I became completely invested in Hazel’s character. As a young lady of her station, her future consisted of marrying the cousin and giving up her passion. Her father was off at war, her mother was still reeling from the loss of a child to the Roman fever. Pursuing her dreams was the only good in her life, no matter the challenges. I can’t wait to see where the story picks up in Immortality: A Love Story, the second book in the duology.
The Love Scribe by Amy Meyerson: READ IT…BE PATIENT! Alice’s best friend, Gabby, is in the middle of a bad break-up. Alice writes her a story to raise her spirits. While reading it, Gabby meets the man of her dreams. Believing the story to have special powers, she shares the story with her sister and friends, and they, too, find love. Word of mouth quickly spreads and Alice is inundated with requests for stories. The stories don’t come automatically; she must learn a little about the individual so she can draft that special story. One of her recent clients is a bit of a challenge. Madeline Alger lives in a remove mansion in the woods. She reaches out to Gabby for help and, for the first time, Gabby worries she’s found a story she can’t write. Madeline forces her to re-evaluate the real purpose of her stories and together they unearth the true power and purpose of stories.
I will admit this is a slow-build. I nearly put this one aside as I wasn’t sure where the author was going. A lot seemed to happen early on and I didn’t know how it could carry on through the rest of the book. I took a risk and was so glad I did!
The Malice House by Megan Shepherd: READ IT…with the lights on! This book has been sitting on my TBR since last year. I’ve been making a point to read more books recommended by friends, so when this one came with raving reviews, I bumped it up the stack!
Haven Marbury is cleaning out her late father’s home. As a Pulitzer-prize winning author, he had quite the following and the house is full of memories of his career. The house also holds some dark and chilling memories; Haven’s father warned her it was haunted. As Haven is packing up her father’s belongings in the attic, she discovers a manuscript locked in a cabinet. Most of her father’s novels were turned over to the local library and the debtors took what money was left from their sales. This one appears to be unpublished, and is vastly different than the fiction for which he was known. Bedtime Stories for Monsters was a series of dark and disturbing short stories, with horrific monsters that seemed to exist in another world. As she tries to come to terms with the various changes in her life, Haven turns to what she does best: drawing. Haven hopes that by illustrating the manuscript, she can jumpstart her career. The drawings awaken something far darker than anything she could have imagined, unearthing family secrets that have been buried for generations.
This book is the one I’ve been waiting to read for so long. So brilliant, so well crafted. The build up and reveal was completely awe-inspiring. Never could I have prepared myself for…everything! Completely unique premise and storyline, this author is one to watch!
Coming up on my bookshelf this week….
- Venco by Cherie Dimaline
- The Wilderwomen by Ruth Emmie Lang
- Red London by Alma Katsu
- Tell Me an Ending by Jo Harkin
