Review: Forevermore

Forevermore by Lauren Royal
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Cameron Leslie, I love you. Clarice is one lucky lady.  I love this series.  Stop judging me.

Sweet, short novella told from Clarice and Cameron's point of view after Cait and Jason's wedding. I want more of their story, but this will have to do.  Are you expecting a HEA?  Yes, you are.  Are you going to sigh a little at the end?  Yes, you are.

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Review: The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and Stories

The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and Stories by Marina Keegan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Marina Keegan was only 22 when she was died in a car accident. Newly graduated from Yale and ready to continue her budding career as a writer, we are left with a collection of work from her short life. Half of the book is short stories, and the other half essays. You can see glimmers of what she would have potentially grown into as a writer. Her voice, as you would expect, is very young. She's in college; her life has barely started. I liked some of the stories, didn't like some others. These are stories that wouldn't have been published under other circumstances.

Overall, three stars, but I'm having a hard time separating the tragedy of a life cut short from the actual work, so actually 2.5.

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Review: Mortality

Mortality by Christopher Hitchens
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Life is short. Cancer sucks. Please remember that, my friends, and make the most of every moment.

Regardless of whether you agreed with Christopher Hitchens or not, this is a powerful read. Disease can strike anyone, anywhere, anytime. We can do all of the right things--exercise, eat healthy foods, get enough rest--and still get sick. We can do the wrong things--smoke, drink, overeat, eat unhealthy foods--and stay healthy. The body is a mystery at times. And you aren't guaranteed tomorrow.

Diagnosed with esophageal cancer that had spread to his lungs and lymph nodes, Hitchens chronicles his mortality in this short read. If cancer has touched your life in some way, I think this book will speak to you. It's worth the hour of your life. 4 stars.


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Review: Henry VIII’s Wives: History in an Hour

Henry VIII’s Wives: History in an Hour by Julie Wheeler
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

History in an Hour series: short reads to enhance your knowledge about a subject in under an hour. More like 20 minutes for this one.

Tough gig, being the wife of Henry VIII. As the rhyme goes: Divorced, Beheaded, Died. Divorced, Beheaded, Survived. No thanks, Henry. I've seen the Holbein paintings. You were not much of a catch. Too much pressure to produce a male heir. Too much infidelity and Royal Court nonsense. I wouldn't have done well in that time. Too much sass in me.

Straightforward information about each of the six wives. A good primer to get you started.

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Review: The Assassin's Blade (Throne of Glass #0.1-0.5)

The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A collection of five short stories that show you (mostly) how Celaena became the beautiful, trained assassin you know and love. They fill in a lot of the gaps and you will have a better understanding of her character and like her even more.

A must read for anyone who enjoyed Throne of Glass.

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Review: Rise (Tempting Tales #2)

Rise by Keira Andrews
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

M/M erotic version of Jack and the Beanstalk, in case you were wondering. That should tell you all you need to know to determine if this book is for you.

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Storming the Castle (Fairy Tales #1.5)

Storming the Castle by Eloisa James

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


"And they all lived happily ever after." Just like I like my romances. I'm a sap. Don't judge.

Cute follow up to A Kiss at Midnight--this time starring Wick. We have a slightly modern woman in Phillipa Damson, running from a marriage looming in her future to make her own way. She runs right into the nearby castle to assist the princess with her ailing infant. Luckily for everyone, Phillipa's uncle is a skilled, if unconventional, physician, and she uses what she's learned from him to save the baby. Wick, like everyone, is impressed by this undercover lady posing as a nanny. Misunderstandings and flirtations abound, and we come to the conclusion we knew was coming and hoped for. Like all fairy tales, they all seem to live happily ever after.



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A Little Fruitcake: A Childhood in Holidays

A Little Fruitcake: A Childhood in Holidays by David Valdes Greenwood

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Cute little holiday vignettes from his childhood, each one covering a different year.



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Wait For Signs: Twelve Longmire Stories.

Wait for Signs: Twelve Longmire Stories by Craig Johnson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


A collection of short stories written around the Christmas holidays. Always fun to visit Absaroka County with Walt, Henry, and the gang. But mainly I visit for Walt and Henry.



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The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Oh, F. Scott. Not entirely sure how to feel about this tale. Should I laugh? Should I cry? In the end, I did neither.

Let me start by saying I adore Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. I love the lyrical descriptions, the flawed characters, and the excess, vanity, and tragedy oozing through each line. Even the characters I hate are drawn perfectly enough to understand their motivations and poor decisions. Not so with Benjamin Button. We fly through his life in reverse with little detail. I'm left with so many unanswered questions. What happened to his mother? How did the split with his wife occur? What in the world was everyone around him thinking as he regressed right into a crib and on to his grave? The story is told through Benjamin's point of view, and as a result we aren't shown any other perspective. It left me a little depressed at the end. Benjamin was unlikeable as he "aged" into his immaturity, which is probably the point. I think Benjamin is supposed to be a sympathetic character, but I didn't feel it as I read. Fitzgerald was said to have called this "the funniest story ever written" but at no point did the story make me laugh.

If you are looking for a short story by Fitzgerald, I recommend Bernice Bobs Her Hair instead. Much more satisfying.

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The Lottery and Other Stories

The Lottery and Other Stories by Shirley Jackson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a collection of short stories that run the spectrum of emotions for me, but this review is about "The Lottery". I have read this 3 different times in my life, and knowing the ending doesn't make it any easier to read. This story is about tradition, and what can happen when people blindly follow what has been done in the past without stopping to question why we do the things we do. I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but I feel this story is an absolute "must read" for everyone. It will spark deep discussion, and it will change your perspective.

I need to go cry in a corner now and be depressed for the remainder of the day. Well played, Ms. Jackson, well played. This story left an imprint on my psyche and I will be thinking about it for days.

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