This weeks round up includes adventure, travel, and
overcoming personal fears. It is hard to look beyond personal limitations and
dare to believe that you can go, do, and become all you hope for. These books
are about embracing life, even when it looks hard or completely impossible. We
all deserve the opportunity to feel connection and adventure boldly into the
unknown. Join me within the pages.
A Study In Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro
[This book is rated PG-13, recommended for high school and
above]
I love a good mystery book and who does mystery better than
Holmes and Watson. These pages introduce you to the great-great-great-grandchildren of Sherlock Holmes and
John Watson. This is the new generation of mystery solvers, who have a heritage
that weighs on their shoulders.
Charlotte Holmes is a wickedly smart,
cold, addict who has been raised to carry on the family business, but
finds herself sentenced to boarding school when her drug habit and emotions get the better of her. Jamie Watson is the average teen who loves girls and writing, but plays
sports to channel his anger to humor his mom. Out of the blue he receives a
full-ride scholarship to an American boarding school where his life will change
forever. The murder of his teammate throws Jamie and Charlotte together as
crime solvers and suspects. With their
lives on the line they discover that not everything is what it appears to be
and someone has been pulling the strings of their lives for a long time.
This is the first book of a series of three so far. As I
warned you above, this book is PG-13. It is filled with language, drug use, and
the occasional sexual innuendo. Like her great- great-great grandfather, Holmes
has a drug habit that is fierce and there are scenes of her under the influence
of oxy. Charlotte’s habit is a big piece of this book as the mystery is tied to
her past. I would not recommend this book to a young reader. I went back and
forth on my opinion myself. At first I did not like this book, the language is
STRONG in the first few chapters, but then it eased up as the mystery took
over. While not my favorite read, if you are a fan of Sherlock Homes mysteries,
you will enjoy this book despite the language and explicit drug use. The mystery is good, and it
leads you right into book 2.
The Heart Between Us by Lindsay Harrel
All Megan Jacobs has wanted is to see the world and write
travel blogs next to her
photography loving friend Caleb, but she couldn’t. Until three years ago Megan
lived in an out of hospital waiting and hoping for a new heart. While her twin sister, Crystal,
lived the life she never got to
live; friends, boys, and success.
Twins separated by a heart. A gift came to Megan through her donor, a journal
with a bucket list, and now she could move beyond her fears and all the risks
of living with a donated organ to live out what her donor hoped to do. A story
of sisterhood, faith, and living beyond expectations to embrace love and life.
I adored the around the world journey of Megan and Crystal
and all the twists and turns they experienced
as they reconnected and learned more about themselves than they thought
possible. The layers of this story are complex and realistic. While this story
does have an uplifting ending, the path to get there is messy and filled with
brokenness that I relate to all to well. I laughed, cried, and got lost in
these pages. I hope you will be moved by them as well. Great rainy day with a
cup of coffee kind of read.
The Thing With Feathers by McCall Hoyle
Emilie Day plays it safe, she is homeschooled, her best friend is her seizure dog, and she stays
away from the water. But, things get
unsafe when her mom enrolls her in public school for her “emotional well-being”
and she is surrounded by a sea of strangers. She is paired up with the most popular guy in school for an Emily Dickinson
project and is starting to make friends for the first time. Epilepsy might cause Emilie to seize on occasion, but will it stop
her for seizing the life in front of her?
This story was hard for me to get into. The story is
beautiful, but the way the emotional
roller coaster that Emilie is on plays out is not what I personally enjoy
reading. With that said, where this story takes the reader is
encouraging. It is always best to tell the truth, some may respond badly to it,
but others may surprise you in the best way. A topic, such as heath issues, can
be uncomfortable and even embarrassing, but it is worth going to those places
to let others into your life. That truth alone is why this book is so
beautiful to me.
-Hannah
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