Writing His Story

James by Percival Everett is getting a lot of great reviews. It provides an alternate view of Huckleberry Finn, namely from slave Jim’s perspective.

I vaguely remember reading pieces of the adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn as a girl (maybe grade school?), and I wasn’t sure this book would capture my interest. I couldn’t be more wrong. I devoured it in two days.

Jim is a highly educated slave, and has raised his young daughter and other slave children to read and write too. He also taught them how to behave as slaves in speech and behavior when around white people for their own protection.

Jim decides to run away when he discovers that he is going to be sold. Huck ends up with him since he is escaping his own issues, primarily an abusive father.

Jim hopes to find someone who can help buy his wife and daughter so they can be together again. Traveling down the Mississippi as a wanted, runaway slave with a white boy leads to many challenges. The two experience danger and violence (toward Jim and other slaves) in their quest for survival.

A couple of incidents include being stuck with a pair of white conmen, traveling with a white singing troupe that perform in black face and being sold to a vicious owner (among many other incidents).

As word of a civil war begins circulating, Jim decides he must return to save his family on his own. When he discovers that they’ve been sold, he sets off again.

Jim confronts his adversaries and shows his true self. He is not the acquiescent slave Jim. He is a strong, courageous, intelligent man. He is James, and he has a story to share.

There are so many other important moments and details throughout this book. I read voraciously to know Jim’s story and in hopes of justice. I closed this book feeling its story resound in my mind. Knowledge and words are powerful.

Behind Closed Doors

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden is a page-turning read. It is book one of three.

The book starts with reference to a crime scene. Then it jumps back to Millie being hired as the affluent Winchester family’s maid. She feels fortunate to get the job considering she was previously in jail and is currently sleeping in her car. The job seems great until her boss, Nina, begins showing signs of a mental break. Nina seems determined to drive Millie away.

Meanwhile, Millie is becoming infatuated with her boss’s husband, Andrew. When it seems that he may feel the same, the story jumps to Nina’s perspective.

Some spoilers ahead-

Nina’s point of view reveals how she met and married Andrew, as well as how their relationship took a drastic turn into abuse. This twist reveals Nina’s plan to safely leave Andrew, while possibly putting Millie into jeopardy.

More detail is revealed about Millie’s criminal past which leads to a pretty satisfying conclusion.

I picked up this book out of curiosity knowing that it’s been made into a movie. While I’m not sure I’ll read books two and three, this book definitely kept my attention and has my interest to see how it will be transitioned to the screen.

Serving Time

Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson was a wild ride. I would not recommend it for sensitive readers but I really enjoyed it.

Mary Addison was accused of killing a three month old baby, Alyssa, when she was only nine years old. There is detail surrounding the baby’s death (and other scenes of violence) that could be upsetting to some.

She was sentenced to “baby jail” and spent years locked up. It seems as though her mother may have forced her into this horrible situation in order to save herself since she was babysitting at the time.

Now Mary is sixteen and living in a group home with other female criminals. She becomes pregnant and decides she wants to keep her baby and further her education. The only way to do this is by fighting her conviction while trying to survive among girls who are out to get her.

Her mother still visits every couple weeks which adds to her psychological load. Mary’s dysfunctional upbringing is slowly revealed along with snippets from various reports and books about her.

The book’s subplot includes the potential flaws within the justice system when it comes to children and their safety. Mary has been abused emotionally or physically by most of the adults in her life.

This was a page turner because of nonstop episodes of suspense and surprises throughout the book.

Wrong Move

Kala by Colin Walsh is a suspenseful mystery taking place in Ireland.

Kala went missing as a teenager. The events leading up to her disappearance made a profound impact on her friend group. They witnessed criminal activity while hanging out together, which changed their group dynamic. Meanwhile, Kala was in the midst of her own personal revelations when she went missing.

Years later, Kala’s body is discovered at a construction site. A picture of Kala and her friends is found with her remains. Its discovery prompts her friends to reflect on their interactions leading up to her final night.

Present day and flashbacks slowly piece together these interactions from multiple perspectives. Helen, now a writer in Canada, was new to the area. She recounts first seeing Kala with her friend Aoife and being fascinated with them. Over time, she becomes close with them, especially Kala. She is back in town because her father is getting married.

Joe was Kala’s boyfriend and son of a police officer. He became a famous musician who now struggles with alcoholism and self absorption. Mush is the only one who stayed in their hometown of Kinlough. He works in his mom’s coffee shop, hiding his facial disfigurement. His aunt is marrying Helen’s dad.

There is a constant undercurrent of crime, secrets and sadness through the story which is compounded by the sudden disappearance of Mush’s twin teen-aged cousins.

The Irish terms gave me a little trouble at first, but before long I was thoroughly immersed. Walsh did an amazing job of weaving different perspectives of events through past and present in order to slowly reveal everything.

Family Secrets

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore is a twisty whodunnit.

Each chapter focuses on a different character during his or her pertinent year(s) in a timeline of events.

In the “current” year of 1975, a camper goes missing overnight. Her name is Barbara Van Laar and her family owns the land overseeing the campgrounds. She is a rebellious teen, and is often at odds with her parents. Her disappearance is even more disquieting considering her older, much-loved brother, Bear, went missing many years earlier when he was eight.

Chapters focus on Alice (Bear and Barbara’s mother), the head camp counselor, Tracy (a fellow camper) , the female investigator and other people of interest during Bear’s disappearance.

Pieces of the puzzle come together, gradually revealing the actual events surrounding both Van Laar children’s whereabouts. This book is well-written and definitely kept me guessing throughout.

Learning to Listen

The Three Ordinary Voices of God by Matthew Kelly was handed to us at church so I gave it a read.

It advises against misliving one’s life. The surest way of doing so is by getting caught up in the hustle and bustle, noise and materialism in the world.

Instead we should listen to God’s voice through our needs, talents and desires. Each voice is broken down within its own chapter including more specific information and exercises. I found myself underlining many points throughout.

This book found me at a good time. It reminds readers of what is truly important in life, and the necessity to turn off the noise and clutter that diminish our growth.

Living a Lie

None of This is True by Lisa Jewell is a psychological thriller with single white female vibes.

Alix is celebrating her forty fifth birthday with family and friends when she catches Josie’s eye. It turns out that they share the same exact birthdate and were born in the same hospital. That is where their similarities end.

Alix is a successful podcaster and mother to two school-aged children while Josie is married to a much older man with two grown children. Josie offers to be Alix’s next podcast subject as she is on the brink of major life changes after enduring years of trauma. She begins recounting her life to Alix while ingratiating herself into her world.

Josie asks to live with Alix’s family after having a terrible fight with her husband. Alix grows more and more uncomfortable with Josie’s odd behaviors and with her stories that don’t quite add up.

Josie plots a way to upend Alix’s life once she is asked to move out. This sets off a chain of events revealing lies and murder. Alix’s eventual completion of the podcast shows a completely different angle to everything Josie led her to believe.

The book is written with excerpts of the podcast and scenes from the fictional Netflix documentary made as a result of the sensationalism around the case. This is a page-turning read that made me want to scream warnings to Alix.

Magical Library

The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown is an intricate fantasy.

Cassie has a simple life working in a bookstore until a regular patron gifts her a magical book before he passes away. The book allows its holder to transport to any doorway anywhere at anytime.

Cassie and her roommate enjoy the book for a short while before realizing its dangers. Many people are after this book and others like it. Each book has its own unique power that could be used for good or evil.

Cassie is found by the Librarian, a man who has possession of most of these magical books. He provides more information about the books and the many unsavory people who seek them.

One of the villains manages to send and trap Cassie back ten years in time. She must figure out not only how to get back to her present time, but also how to save her best friend and others while also working through her own painful memories.

This book was a slow start for me. I wasn’t quite feeling the fantasy vibe, but I’m so glad I stuck with it. I couldn’t put it down once it got going. The conflict between good and evil, the characters, the detail and the way everything connects all make for a very unique plot.

I Don’t

The Wedding People by Alison Espach is about the aftermath of pivotal life changes.

Main character Phoebe arrives at a beautiful inn in Rhode Island. It would seem as though she’s on a solo vacation following a painful divorce from her husband Matt.

Spoilers ahead- Instead, it turns out she’s at the inn to commit suicide. The only problem is she’s the only inn guest who is not part of Lila and Gary’s wedding. She begins getting tangled up in wedding events, which fortunately changes her original goal.

Through the story, Phoebe reflects on her marriage and career while figuring out who she would like to be in her new life. She becomes an important part of the weeklong wedding celebrations while also finding her own potential love interest.

Espach’s writing includes an eye for detail, humor and an engaging plot. The relationship tension felt reminiscent of a Lifetime movie and kept me engaged until the very end!

Top Story

Guilty by Laura Elliot is what I would consider a psychological thriller.

A teenager goes missing which ramps up a huge investigation. Her uncle Karl becomes the prime suspect due in large part to heavy media influence.

Karl’s world is in turmoil, meanwhile, the news reporter (Amanda) responsible for his demise, is flourishing.

This book was a page turner that had me enraged at the media and its influence on the masses. There were many questions to answer: would Constance’s death be solved, would Karl get restitution and would Amanda ever have consequences for her actions? All are answered by the end of the book as each character is explored more fully.