Book Review: The Things We Do For Love by Kristin Hannah

5 Stars (can't help it, it is what it is) for Kristin Hannah's The Things We Do For Love. I'm on a bit of a Kristin Hannah kick, as you can tell. This one seemed different than her others. However, on page 122, I said to myself, "Ah, this is going to be a feel good book." 

Full disclosure, this one brought me to tears. And, true to everything Kristin Hannah writes, you'll find amazingly strong female characters with grit, hope, perseverance, and courage. An unloved teen and freshly divorced woman find love and acceptance in this page turner! The Things We Do For Love doesn't end how you think. I started to feel it was getting to be predictable and then...BAM, PLOT TWIST :) 

If you're a Kristin Hannah fan, you'll like this one too. @kristinhannahauthor #greatread #5stars #bookreviews #sendmebooks #loveabook #loveawriter #sendmebooks #readtoescape #booknerd #bookedlife #bibliophile #instabook #bookstagrammer

Book Review: The Great Alone

 5 Stars (no surprise here) for Kristin Hannah's The Great Alone. I fell in love with Kristin's writing with The Nightingale. Next, I picked up The Four Winds. The Great Alone had been patiently waiting on my TBR shelf. After hearing so many great things about it and being in a book hangover after The Four Winds, I knew it was time. 

The Great Alone forged new territory for me as a reader. It created an immersive landscape with characters that are timeless, and themes that are evergreen. Kristin tackles some really heavy topics in The Great Alone. A few are PTSD, child abuse, physical abuse and desertion. The way she uses those topics to pull out hope and show how the light can overcome darkness is unparalleled to anything I've ever read. Trust, hope, belonging, family, friends, community, and bravery run through this book like the fish run through the waters in Alaska. 

It's an adventure of heart. You don't need anything but to sit back and let it all unfold. You'll laugh, gasp, ugly cry, and think about so many things. 

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Book Review: Nomadland by Jessica Bruder

5 fascinating stars for Nomadland by @thatjess Jessica Bruder. I picked this book up at Costco. It was originally published in 2017 and quite an interesting read after just finishing Four Winds by Kristin Hannah and reading about "Okies," "Wanderers," and people living out of tents and in their cars, on sites all across the midwest in a fictional world based on true events during the 1930s.

Let's be honest, some days in the corporate world, I feel like I'm one email away from going to live in a van down by the river. I have days where I dream of living off the grid, in the wilderness with my husband, my kids, and our poodle. So, this book caught my eye. I wanted to learn...and to get an honest glimpse into understanding what the final straws are for many, currently living a nomadic life. 

Nomadland paints a picture of a subculture that has existed in the US for many years and is written with empathy by someone who wasn't looking to write an article and walk away. This book was written by someone who wanted to understand the life, the culture, the people, by walking in their shoes, and for that I am thankful. I know the amazing people mentioned in the book are also grateful to have their stories told by someone who looked them in the eye and cared to listen. 

I cannot help but wonder about the impact of Covid-19 on the # of nomads, wanderers, and vanilies that now exist that didn't exist before. I wonder about the shift in demographics of the "newer" nomads- both people choosing to leave everything behind and those forced. 

Nomadland is filled to the brim with wisdom. With stories of courage and grit that we can only hope we all witness in others in this life we are all passing through. As I had hoped, it does appear to be freeing to get rid of all the "stuff," and all the expectations. And, although I'll wake up tomorrow and log in to my computer, check emails and attend conference calls while virtual learning goes on downstairs, I was able to escape between the pages of Nomadland and understand a rapidly growing subculture in the United States thanks to this book. And, for that I am forever thankful. 

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Book Review: The Push by Ashley Audrain

 An easy 5 stars for The Push by @ashleyaudrain! I was hooked from page 16. I couldn't decide if the main character was a villain or a mother, desperate for help and for someone to listen and believe her. 

Written from such an interesting perspective, it was devastatingly real and I couldn't put The Push down. There were so many parts of the story moms and daughters will related to. The balances and imbalances in mundane moments are described so clearly and so foggy at the same time, I found myself in my most comfy chair cancelling my Saturday night plans for this one. 

This story of mothers and daughters, and specifically Blythe and Violet had me feeling like I was watching each scene unfold like a fast-paced thriller in a theater.  If this book was a movie, it would be the kind that makes you pause mid-chew on your popcorn, with your mouth slightly open. 

I will be watching closely for more books from @ashleyaudrain. This one is surely to leave you hanging in a deep thriller hangover. Be warned that whatever you pick up afterwards is going to have some big shoes to fill. Now, go get your copy. 

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Book Review: Think Like A Monk by Jay Shetty

5 Stars for Think Like a Monk by @jayshetty. I typically limit the number of non-fiction books I read. I limit my non-fiction books because  reading is my time to escape the real world and, spend some time in fictional lives and places.  That being said, I flew through Think Like a Monk. 

5 stars were earned because there were parts that I spent extra time thinking about, parts that I mulled over. LOTS of underlining and writing in the borders. I cannot say that I was able to truly absorb all that the book has to offer. I think it's one of those books you would get something new from with each read. 

By no means does this book push any specific teaching, religion, or thought to be more significant or "right," than any other. Perhaps that is why I loved it so. I felt Think Like a Monk was educational, with thought-provoking stories and quotes scattered throughout from religious thought-leaders, holy writings, and well-known authors. It's all offered up in such a way that if you can use it, you should take it. If not, maybe it's meant for a different time in your life, or a different walk. 

Think Like a Monk will leave you different than you found it. And if not, the fault is your own. I'm thankful I picked it up and look forward to more writings by @jayshetty in the future. I highly recommend this one if you're in the mood for something to help put a few things (or even one thing) in perspective. 

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