Wow...
Where DID the time go?! Wasn't it Halloween just...yesterday? It certainly feels like it. Time moves at warp speed for me when school is in session. Even Thanksgiving Break flew by too quickly, but I found it quite relaxing...and productive. There's a lot going on around my house and my job these days. "Busy, busy, busy..." (to quote Professor Hinkle in "Frosty the Snowman").
I'm happy to say I've found some time to read (though, not as much as I'd like), and I do have a couple of books to mention to you I found quite entertaining.
First...
The Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley is a wonderfully enjoyable book. It's part mystery, part historical fiction, and part supernatural (in a haunting kind of way). I saw a reviewer compare it to Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, and I have to agree it does have that kind of feel to it. It's set in Scotland and the plot surrounds a woman who has come to help on an archaeological dig, based on the search for an old Roman military camp that vanished centuries ago and no one knows what happened to them. Excellent read. And I love Susanna Kearsley's writing. (If you like this one, you'll definitely enjoy her The Winter Sea.)
Next...
After Her by Joyce Maynard was a random choice for me. I've never read anything by her, but the synopsis on the back intrigued me. The story is told by a grown woman who is looking back at her childhood and telling about the time the Sunset Strangler hunted women on the California hillsides behind her house. Her father was the lead detective on the case. The story is as much about her childhood, her bond with her sister, and her confusion over her parents' relationship, as it is about the murders and the serial killer. The story is written well, and I enjoyed it on many different levels.
I consider this story historical fiction, as it is loosely based on the real Trailside Killer and a detective who worked on the case. The author acknowledges she based the story on the real one, as told to her by the two daughters of the detective. It's a fascinating (and, sometimes, a bit creepy) read.
And, last but not least, (not by a long shot)...
Someone Else's Love Story by Joshilyn Jackson was a fun ride! Of course, Ms. Jackson never fails to entertain me with her writing style. I fell in love with her when I read A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty. She writes interesting, colorful characters that both surprise and amaze. Her characters are greatly flawed in the most beautiful ways. I feel like her stories shout to the world, "Hey, we all screw-up, but that doesn't mean we're not good people!"
In Someone Else's Love Story, it all begins when two people make a connection during an unexpected moment - when they're held at gunpoint by a convenience store robber. Any story that starts that way must be good, right? Absolutely. The great thing about Jackson's writing? You never know what twists and turns she's going to take you on. You just have to trust the ride,...and I do. I learned that from A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty.
In fact, I trust Jackson with my valuable reading time so much, she's my first choice for this weekend. I'm just about to start gods in Alabama (yes, little 'g'), and I can't WAIT to see what she has in store for me with this one!
Happy reading to you all and to all a good read! :-D
Where DID the time go?! Wasn't it Halloween just...yesterday? It certainly feels like it. Time moves at warp speed for me when school is in session. Even Thanksgiving Break flew by too quickly, but I found it quite relaxing...and productive. There's a lot going on around my house and my job these days. "Busy, busy, busy..." (to quote Professor Hinkle in "Frosty the Snowman").
I'm happy to say I've found some time to read (though, not as much as I'd like), and I do have a couple of books to mention to you I found quite entertaining.
First...
The Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley is a wonderfully enjoyable book. It's part mystery, part historical fiction, and part supernatural (in a haunting kind of way). I saw a reviewer compare it to Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, and I have to agree it does have that kind of feel to it. It's set in Scotland and the plot surrounds a woman who has come to help on an archaeological dig, based on the search for an old Roman military camp that vanished centuries ago and no one knows what happened to them. Excellent read. And I love Susanna Kearsley's writing. (If you like this one, you'll definitely enjoy her The Winter Sea.)
Next...
After Her by Joyce Maynard was a random choice for me. I've never read anything by her, but the synopsis on the back intrigued me. The story is told by a grown woman who is looking back at her childhood and telling about the time the Sunset Strangler hunted women on the California hillsides behind her house. Her father was the lead detective on the case. The story is as much about her childhood, her bond with her sister, and her confusion over her parents' relationship, as it is about the murders and the serial killer. The story is written well, and I enjoyed it on many different levels.
I consider this story historical fiction, as it is loosely based on the real Trailside Killer and a detective who worked on the case. The author acknowledges she based the story on the real one, as told to her by the two daughters of the detective. It's a fascinating (and, sometimes, a bit creepy) read.
And, last but not least, (not by a long shot)...
Someone Else's Love Story by Joshilyn Jackson was a fun ride! Of course, Ms. Jackson never fails to entertain me with her writing style. I fell in love with her when I read A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty. She writes interesting, colorful characters that both surprise and amaze. Her characters are greatly flawed in the most beautiful ways. I feel like her stories shout to the world, "Hey, we all screw-up, but that doesn't mean we're not good people!"
In Someone Else's Love Story, it all begins when two people make a connection during an unexpected moment - when they're held at gunpoint by a convenience store robber. Any story that starts that way must be good, right? Absolutely. The great thing about Jackson's writing? You never know what twists and turns she's going to take you on. You just have to trust the ride,...and I do. I learned that from A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty.
In fact, I trust Jackson with my valuable reading time so much, she's my first choice for this weekend. I'm just about to start gods in Alabama (yes, little 'g'), and I can't WAIT to see what she has in store for me with this one!
Happy reading to you all and to all a good read! :-D
