A Bookworm's Book Reviews

Only the Beautiful – Susan Meissner

Title: Only the Beautiful

Author: Susan Meissner

Genre: Historical Fiction

Plot: Rosie Maras has just lost her family in a train accident in the 1930’s. Her parent’s boss, Celine and Truman Calvert, take her in. Rosie is taken from the vineyard, the Calvert’s own and becomes a maid in the household. Then an accident happens and Rosie becomes pregnant. The Calvert’s send her to an asylum for that and because she can see colors with sounds. The asylum tries to ‘cure’ her. Then she’s forced to give up her child after gives birth. Will Rosie ever be free of the asylum? Is it possible for her to be reunited with her child?

Truman Calvert’s sister, Helen, returns to the vineyard from Europe after World War 2. She was a nanny and teacher there during the war. Helen finds her brother’s been killed in a training accident. Her sister-in-law, Celine, is angry with everyone because of what happened with Truman and Celine. Helen travels California to find Rosie and her child. Is it even possible for her to find the child and Rosie? Or has her search been in vain?

Rating: 4.0 – a story of family and history

Opinion: This was an interesting book. It makes you think about what the US did people in asylums in the 1900’s. It almost feels tame compared to some of the things I’ve heard on the Discovery Channel, but still sad. It talks about the darker side of happened to the people that went out of sight. We hid people because they’re different. It was easier that way. It was horrible how the doctors treated the patients in the book. Part of me hoped they’d lose their license, but I knew they wouldn’t because of the times. For how sad it was, I was glad the redeemable characters got their happy ending. You could kind of see where the ending was going, but it was still a good read and a good ending. The characters in the book are relatable. They make realistic choices. Though, the odds of them finding each other were against each other were high, I’m glad they did. Overall, this was a great book. I highly recommend it for anyone who wouldn’t mind reading about the darker side of the 1930’s and ’40’s.

My Next Breath – Jeremy Renner

This book may be gory graphic for some readers.

Title: My Next Breath

Author: Jeremy Renner

Genre: Memoir

Plot: Jeremy Renner tells his story about his snowplow accident on January 1, 2023. He talks about the events that led up to that day and why he and his nephew were out using the snowplow and truck that day. There’s talk about why he did what he did and what went through his head in the moments before, during, and after the accident. He takes responsibility for the event and the effects it had on his family. He talked about his hospital stay, the surgeries, the in hospital recovery, and out of hospital recovery. Lastly, he talks about the continuing recovery two years later and returning to work.

Rating: 4.3 – a story of loss and recovery and family and love

Opinion: This was a great memoir. I understand why Jeremy Renner didn’t want to write this book. It’s super hard to write about the traumatic events in your life, especially the recent ones. It can be hard to find motivation to keep going and to keep getting better after a traumatic event when you don’t have something to hold on to. He talks so much about the love he has for his family and friends. That’s the main thing that kept him going. He attributes his family and his life experiences that gave him the ability to survive his traumatic event. It’s amazing that he had such a strong support system in his family and friends. It makes recovery that much easier on you mentally. It was relatable for me because I had a traumatic event in early 2024. It was nowhere near as traumatic as Jeremy Renner, but still traumatic. It stressed me out a little to read the book and hear about his event and his time in the hospital. For most of that, I kept thinking, ‘how is this guy still alive?’ I think my cat noticed that and snuggled with me while I was reading this book. It was nice to hear some motivation for me and others who are still recovering from traumatic events. It may look different for everyone, by you can still relate to what Jeremy Renner talks about. Finding something to hold on to makes recovering easier, whether it’s family, friends, pets, or something else. It may not be the best for squeamish people as there’s lots of talk about some of the graphic parts of Jeremy Renner’s injuries. Overall, this is a great book about finding something to hold onto after a traumatic event.

Sunrise on the Reaping – Suzanne Collins

Title: Sunrise on the Reaping

Author: Suzanne Collins

Genre: Young Adult

Plot: Haymitch Abernathy’s 16th birthday hits differently. His birthday is on the reaping day in Panem, and he’s in District 12. This year, he’s chosen in for the 50th Hunger Games in a different way after he’s caught trying to defend his girlfriend. Now he’s off with the other 48 tributes, double the amount of normal years, from the 12 districts. He tries to help create alliances and sneak in a little rebellion, but President Snow and the Capitol are onto him. With everything he does monitored, he has to find a way to make sure everything goes to plan. He tries hard but this Hunger Game is designed to go against him and his allies. Can Haymitch and his allies pull the heist off? Or will the Capitol foil everything? Can he really come out unscathed? Or will be worse for even trying?

Rating: 4.0 – a different side of the Hunger Games universe

Opinion: This was a surprisingly good book. I was expecting a lot more plotting and scheming than were actually in it. There was some, but not as much as in Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. I enjoyed seeing more of Haymitch when he was younger and why he acted the way he did with Katniss and Peeta. If you’ve read the original Hunger Games trilogy, you know Haymitch wins, but you don’t know the full story. You know he wins, but you don’t see the cost. His story made my heart break. I really wanted him to be able to keep one thing, but that never happened. But it all added to his character depth. I’m glad there’s still some hope at the end of the story. If you’ve read The Hunger Games, you’ll really like this one. I highly recommend this prequel to whoever likes the original trilogy.

The Rose Garden – Susanna Kearsley

Title: The Rose Garden

Author: Susanna Kearsley

Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy

Plot: Eva and Katrina Ward have always followed each other. When Katrina passed suddenly, Eva feels lost and alone. Eva’s asked to find a place to scatter Katrina’s ashes. She decides the best place to do that is near their hometown in Cornwall, at the Trelowarth house. While at Trelowarth, Eva starts to look into the house’s history to help drum up business for her family’s new tea house. Then, somehow, Eva’s drawn into the past, literally. In the early 1700’s she meets Jack and Daniel Butler and their friend Fergus O’Connell. For the first time in a long time, Eva starts to feel at home. She draws close to Daniel. But times are rough, the three men are smugglers and helping the Jacobites when they can. But when Eva continues to jump back and forth in time, can she ever find her true home? Can she help Daniel escape his fate? Or will she lose someone else she cares for?

Rating: 4.0 – a different take on a time travel sappy, romance

Opinion: This was an interesting book. I didn’t that the time travel wasn’t really explained, that it just happened randomly. There were no mechanics or real reason to it, it just happened. It let the author focus more on the plot and characters, which was nice. The characters were relatable and down to earth. They were average people trying to make their way in the world. Then sometime extraordinary happens. I liked that difference in the book. The plot info and historical info was spread out nicely. It was a slow and steady book, but wasn’t too slow. It kept me interested throughout the whole book. The little plot twist fit nicely in the book. It almost felt like a simpler version of Outlander. Overall, I really liked this book. I highly recommend it for anyone who loves Outlander and slow and steady historical fiction with some sappy romance.

The Man Made of Smoke – Alex North

Title: The Man Made of Smoke

Author: Alex North

Genre: Thriller

Plot: Dan Garvie’s close encounter with the serial killer known as the Pied Piper as a child has haunted him into his adult life. He became a criminal profiler to help others. Then Dan gets word that his father, Jack, has died. So Dan returns to his home island to find out what really happened. But going home means he has to confront of his past. And when Dan arrives, he learns that there have been more murders. They’re similar to the Pied Piper’s murders. The more Dan learns about what’s going on, the more he sees the connections to his own encounter with the Pied Piper. What really happened to the Pied Piper? Did he really die? Or is this a copy cat killer? Or is this someone new?

Rating: 4.0 – a different style of serial killer thriller

Opinion: This was an interesting book. It took me a little to get into the book. The nonlinear timeline threw me for a loop at first. There wasn’t always a clear cut time jump between different people and places. It always took me a second of reading to see whose point of view I was reading. I found it interesting that there were five sections that were based on the stages of grief. The pattern followed with the characters and what they learned in the sections as well. I enjoyed the slower build of the book. There wasn’t a ton of violence or graphic scenes. It was different and nice. But it was still good mystery with lots of twists and turns in a good mystery. I liked how Dan figured out and helped solve the mysteries behind the killers. It was nice that it was more of a team effort to find the killer and solve the mystery. I liked how everything was connected to the one moment with Dan and the Pied Piper. Overall, this was a great book with a different style and pacing from what I’ve read of others. I’d highly recommend this book for anyone who likes thrillers and murder mysteries.

Lasting Ever – Rebecca St. James & Cubbie Fink

Title: Lasting Ever

Author: Rebecca St. James & Cubbie Fink

Genre: Memoir, Christian

Plot: Rebecca St. James and her husband Cubbie (short for cub, like bear cub the book explains it) Fink tell about how their faith affected their childhoods. They talked about their music careers. Even though they had their faith, they had fears and stresses. But through everything, they still brought it all to God. He brought them through it all, even though it wasn’t as they expected. Rebecca and Cubbie talked about how God sees us, knows us, cares about us, and loves us. They talked their struggles in their marriage and careers. They brought their struggles to God and saw how God brought them through it. Through everything, they talked with God and sought consul with Him and family.

Rating: 4.5 – a great telling how God can bring you through all things

Opinions: I enjoyed this book. This was a great book about how God can bring you through anything. I liked how honest with the reader that Rebecca and Cubbie were in the book. I liked how they talked about their fears, failures, and struggles. It was nice to know that they talked with other people and God. With everything they did and all of their changes in their lives, they talked to God first. Then they talked with each other. They listened to God and where they felt like He was leading them. They stepped out in faith. When things ended unexpectedly, they prayed and sought counsel. They were clear about being upset but still trusted that God is good. That was refreshing to hear. I liked that they brought up seeing a counselor when things were really hard for them. I feel like it’s still not talked about a lot nowadays in the Christian community. But I feel like Christians are becoming more open about it. It was nice to see that they struggled with similar things and talked about it together. They made it relatable to everyone, even single people. They made it so that single people can know what to look for in a partner. I really enjoyed this book. I liked hearing from both sides equally. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants a book about a Christian memoir about keeping your faith through everything.

Six Days in Bombay – Alka Joshi

Title: Six Days in Bombay

Title: Alka Joshi

Genre: Historical Fiction

Plot: Sona Falstaff is a nurse in 1930’s Bombay, India. One day, Mira Novak comes in to Sona’s hospital after a miscarriage. While Mira heals, the two become fast friends because of their shared half-Indian heritage. But her slow healing makes the doctor’s concerned. There’s conflicts between the British and Indian doctors treating her. Then Mira dies from a morphine overdose. The doctors are quick to blame Sona. They let her go. On her way out, she finds that Mira left her some paintings to deliver to her friends across Europe. Sona’s unsure she’s up to the task. Then she finds encouraging messages from her mother and friend and makes plans to go. Can she find all of Mira’s old friends? Will she be able to deliver all of the paintings?

Ratings: 4.0 – a tale of overcoming fear and living life

Opinion: This was an interesting book. I enjoyed learning about the parts of the world you don’t normally learn about, especially during major world events. I feel like it’s normal to hear about it from the British, or European country’s, perspective. It was cool to learn about this from someone with Indian heritage. It means the story is more authentic to what the characters went through in the book. It’s sad to see that some things haven’t changed much over the years in that sense. I liked the story included overcoming fears and finding the life you want to live. It’s terrifying but worth it. I liked that the book talked about that your first love might not be the best fit. You may find someone who better fits for you and you both won’t hold each other back. It was a slow and steady read, but still interesting to read. The ending was fitting for the story and summed everything up nicely. Overall, this was a great book. I highly recommend it for anyone who needs an easier historical fiction book.

The Queen of the Valley – Lorena Hughes

This is the sequel for The Spanish Queen

Title: The Queen of the Valley

Author: Lorena Hughes

Genre: Historical Fiction

Plot: Martin Sabater is now the proud owner of a cacao plantation in the Valle del Cauca in 1920’s Colombia. To show off his lifelong dream come true, he’s hosting a gala. That night, he goes missing. His good friend, Purificación, Puri for short, was a good friend of Martin. She’s worried something’s happened to him since she hasn’t heard from him in months. Puri poses as a novice nun in the church and hospital that’s cropped up in place of Martin’s cacao planation to see what happened to him. Lucas Ferreira is a close friend of Martin. He was at the gala as the photographer. Puri also suspects that Lucas knows more than he’s letting on. Slowly, she convinces him to help. They talk with the families that run the church and hospital, Farid and his wife Amira have come to own the cacao planation turned hospital suspiciously easy after Martin’s disappearance. Could it really be them? Or another friend? Will they ever find out what happened to Martin? Or is he really gone?

Rating: 4.0 – an interesting historical fiction mystery

Opinion: This was an interesting book. It took me a little to realize that this was a sequel to the other Lorena Hughes book I read. It made me wish I’d reread the other one again. Though, it was its own story so I wasn’t as confused. It was really its own story with the same characters. I liked that this was a different style of mystery. It was a lot cleaner and happier than the other mysteries I’ve read recently. I liked that the ‘detectives’ weren’t the stereotypical detectives. It was just the people who cared about the missing person who wanted to really know what happened. The one thing I was a little curious about was that they were using IV’s in the 1920’s. I didn’t think they were that common back then. But I looked it up and they were becoming common to use for cholera patients at the time. I also liked that the ending was generally happy. Overall, I really enjoy this book. I highly recommend it for anyone who likes historical fiction and mysteries.

The Empyrean Series – Rebecca Yarros

Titles: Book 1 – Fourth Wing, Book 2 – Iron Flame, Book 3 – Onyx Storm

Author: Rebecca Yarros

Genre: Fantasy

Plot: 1 – Violet Sorrengail has just been told she’s no longer training to be a scribe, but a dragon rider. All thanks to her mother, General Sorrengail. No she’s in the fight for her life, literally. Violet fights against the other cadets in the dragon rider war school. Some cadets want vengeance against her for her mother did to their parents after the rebellion. Others are just out for blood. She must also fight others in combat classes, where no one holds back their punches. There’s always the chance she’ll fall to death. Or a dragon will roast her alive if they find her unworthy. Somehow Violet defies all odds and stays alive. Somehow she bonds with a dragon, and not just any dragon, one of the most powerful dragons, Tairn. On top of all of everything, she fights against Xaden, who has his own personal reasons to hate Violet. But they must learn to work together. Can they put aside their differences? Or will it be the death of them?

2 – Violet and Xaden have learned a dark truth about world. Venin exist and they’re more powerful than they thought. And that Navarre leadership isn’t doing anything about it. Xaden and Violet must find a way to save the wards that protect Navarre. They’re failing and even more people could be at risk. Is there a way to save the wards? Can they be repaired? Could they stand against the venin?

3 – The wards are up, but for how long? The venin are coming back, stronger. There might be a way to save the wards. But that means traveling the isles. And taking Violet’s second dragon, Andarna, with her. They’re looking for more of Andarna’s kind of dragon. While they’re looking for allies to turn the tide against the venin. To top everything off, Xaden hasn’t been acting like himself. Can they find more of Andarna’s dragons? Can they make allies? Can the wards be kept on longer? Is there something help Xaden?

Rating: 4 – a different style of magic and dragons

Opinion: This was a great series. The world was well built. I liked that there were different breeds of dragons and each breed acted differently. It was cool that there are tail differences between dragons, too. It was interesting that dragons are terrifying and dangerous. I liked that the dragons pick the humans based on personality traits. For such lengthy books, I liked that the information about the world, characters, and locations are spread out. The author did a great job with military aspects of the book. I liked that the author used her experience as an army brat to help with the military aspects of the books. The romance in the book did feel a little over dramatic at points. Yes, I understand that Xaden’s hot, I don’t need to know that almost every time Violet saw him. They almost seemed a little too dependent on each other by the end, too. Maybe it’s just me reading too much into it, but some of the characters did call them out on it once or twice. I also feel like a few things could’ve been condensed. Overall, this was a great series. I’m curious to see how the story continues. I highly recommend this book for anyone who likes romantasy, magic, and dragons.

You Are Special – Max Lucado

Title: You Are Special

Author: Max Lucado

Illustrator: Sergio Martinez

Plot: Punchinello is a Wemmick in the town of Wemmickville. The characters of the town reward each other with golden stickers for being smart, talented, and beautiful or gray stickers if you’re average. Punchinello is covered in gray stickers. Every day he tries hard to get a gold star, but every day he only gets gray stickers. He wanders to Eli’s, the Wemmick maker, house. Eli explains the real values of the Wemmicks and how all the Wemmicks are special.

Rating: 4.3 – a cute story about how everyone is special in their own way

Opinion: This is such a cute story. It’s a great reminder for kids, and the adults reading it, that they are unique. I like that the book talks about the fact that it can be easy to compare yourself to others, and that comparison is the thief of joy. I also liked that the book talks about finding someone to talk to about things. It’s good to find someone to explain things and remind you of your worth. The pictures in this book are incredible. They really lend themselves to the story. I highly recommend this book for anyone with children.