The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Although I enjoyed it, this book will challenge you emotionally. Victoria, the main character, is a foster child who has grown up and aged-out of a broken system. As Victoria tries to make her way in life, she struggles to come to terms with her broken past and the relationships that she left behind.
The Language of Flowers is a well written story of heartbreak and redemption. Told through flashbacks and current events, we get a true picture of Victoria and the people in her life, both past and present. The author uses flower references to share the story, just as the character Victoria uses flowers as a substitute for the language she cannot express.
Although I don't typically enjoy books that try to neatly tie everything together, the ending of this book felt like closure, and after all of the heartbreak and struggle, the ending helped provide the reader with some relief.
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The Apartment by Danielle Steel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Just in time for summer beach read season, Danielle Steel's newest novel is a fun story about a group of friends who share an apartment in New York City. The four main characters face struggles with work and love as they move through their lives, and they use each other as a surrogate family and support system. In typical Danielle Steel fashion the story is completely unrealistic, absolutely predictable, and a lot of fun to read. The ending is weak, but positive as each other characters finds exactly what she is looking for in life. Danielle Steel novels are always a nice escape from reality for a few hours, and The Apartment would make a wonderful beach read this summer.
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Jet Set Dreams: A Girl's Guide To Flying High by Shantelle
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
If you love to travel, this is a fun little book where the author shares some of her travel adventures. The book includes some great photos, and the author shares some of her favorite experiences traveling, including trips to Thailand, India, and Jamaica. The author also share some travel tips, like what to pack and what to keep in your carry-on luggage. The writing was casual and friendly, and the content was basic at times, but overall pretty good. Although Shantelle is encouraging and inspires everyone to go out and travel, I would have liked the author to share even more personal stories about her adventures. Overall it was a fun and quick read.
Disclosure: I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
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An Irish Heart by Jackie Zack
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was a cute story with lots of potential, but the ending felt a bit too rushed. Even though there is no mention in the book description, this is definitely Christian fiction. The author seemed to throw in references to God more towards the end of the book, and some of them felt out of placed or forced. The characters were fun, but at times the writing did get a bit jumbled, especially at the ending, and the ending itself was predictable. Overall it was a pretty good story and a fun read.
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Paper in the Wind: Peeling back the lifespan of autism in the wake of tragedy by Olivia Mason-Charles
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I downloaded Paper in the Wind to my kindle and read it quickly, but I found the writing to be awkward at times, and the characters are stereotypical. Written in a format that suggests it is a true story, this book describes a single father raising a young daughter with autism. The story covers the struggles that he and his daughter face dealing with her autism, but I felt the story over simplifies many of the issues that families face when dealing with the reality of autism spectrum disorders.
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Coal River by Ellen Marie Wiseman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed Coal River. I have read previous books from this author, and her stories are full of hardship and heartaches and this book was no exception. The central character Emma endures unfathomable struggles, first watching her younger brother die in the river as a young girl, then having her parents die in a fire as a young woman, which leaves her only option to return to Coal River and live with her Aunt & Uncle. Emma is horrified by the conditions in the town for the mining families, especially the rampant abuse of children as mine laborers. She quickly discovers that in a coal town, the mining company has all the power. Emma tries to help the mining families, but her actions lead to disaster. The plight of coal miners is a subject that has been written about by many authors, but this book focuses on the specific issue of child labor through Emma's fascination with the 'breaker boys' who work in dangerous conditions, without any safety equipment, and often get hurt or even killed by the large machinery. The characters are well developed and the author has done a wonderful job of making the reader feel empathy toward Emma and her fight to help the breaker boys and coal families. At times the descriptions of the scenery do get lengthy but overall the book is well written and the story moves along at a fast pace. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.
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Margaret Bourke-White and the Dawn of Apartheid by Alex Lichtenstein
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
As most of my friends know, I love learning about history so I was thrilled to win a copy of this book through Goodreads. A detailed looked at the work of famed photographer Margaret Bourke-White, this book details the travels and work of Bourke-White who worked for Time magazine from its first edition. Bourke-White offers an incredible look at the reality of Apartheid South Africa. The book explores not only her work in Africa, but shows her development as one of the prominent photographers of the 20th century. From her coverage of the poverty in the deep south of America in the 1930's, to the German surrender and liberation of Buchenwald Concentration camp at the end of World War II, Bourke-White was a witness to some of the most brutal events in recent history. Although the writing was a little dry and academic at times, I thoroughly enjoyed this look at the life and work of an amazing woman.
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