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Contains spoilers, click to show
My Heart Belongs in the Superstition Mountains: Carmela’s Quandry by Susan Page Davis is the second book in the My Heart Belongs series. Carmela's Quandry is a Christian Western with a touch of romance. It is set in 1866 in the Arizona Territory. The story has lots of detail which allows for the reader to feel that they are there in the middle of the story. A wonderful story that allows the reader to see the inner beauty in people.

Carmela lost her parents on the trail to California at a young age and since that point her uncle has been exploiting her for years. At first Carmela was cared for by friends until her uncle could arrive. Her parents owed money that Carmela's uncle was now responsible for paying. Since the uncle didn't have the money he guilted and punished Carmela by forcing her to tell a fake story that the uncle invented. The story is that she has been a victim of an Indian attack, later the uncle forces her to tour the country telling the story he invented. He even drew tattoos on her face because that mimicked what tribes often did to captives. Carmela is now twenty and is almost of age to be able to break away from her Uncle and stop speaking to crowds of people and telling them something that are lies.

Freeman McKay is a lawman who is transporting a dangerous prisoner by stage. He is riding along with a prisoner he is transporting when the stagecoach they are on is robbed. The bad guys leave Carmela and Freeland handcuffed together in the desert and ride off with their loot. Freeman is unconscious from the attack. Several hours go by and Carmela is brought water by a mysterious Indian warrior. That water saved their lives. Freeman and Carmela have to make their way to Prescott so that she can settle and be safe. Carmela and Freeman develop a relationship of trust. Carmela tells Freeman of the secret that she has been forced by her uncle to lie to crowds of people for money.

I liked that Carmela was able to find true happiness. The story is captivating. It's a story of faith and the healing virtue of friendship and love.
  
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MelanieTheresa (997 KP) rated Vox in Books

Sep 19, 2018  
Vox
Vox
Christina Dalcher | 2018 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry, Thriller
10
8.8 (13 Ratings)
Book Rating
This book made me so ANGRY.
Contains spoilers, click to show
** spoiler alert ** Somewhere along the line, what was known as the Bible Belt, that swath of Southern states where religion ruled, started expanding. It morphed from belt to corset, covering all but the country’s limbs—the democratic utopias of California, New England, the Pacific Northwest, DC, the southern jurisdictions of Texas and Florida—places so far on the blue end of the spectrum they seemed untouchable. But the corset turned into a full bodysuit, eventually reaching all the way to Hawaii. And we never saw it coming.

This book made me so ANGRY. I read it in a flurry of outrage in less than 24 hours because I just.could.not.stop.

It's the very near future, and the religious right has (seemingly) won in the United States. Women no longer hold jobs, are no longer allowed to read or write, and are limited to speaking 100 words per day, enforced by an electric-shock "bracelet" counter, their voices effectively silenced, their rights taken away. A religious zealot is pulling the strings of the puppet-President. School textbooks are replaced with religious tomes. The LGBTQ community is forced into prison/work camps for "conversion" to the "normal" way (read: man/woman). Engage in premarital or extramarital sex? Work camp in the Black Hills of South Dakota for the rest of your life, with a counter on your wrist set to ZERO. You may think "none of this would ever happen!" .....wouldn't it, though? Consider the current political climate and treatment of women, folks. Maybe it's not that far off the mark.

“Whose fault do you think it was?” he said. I stood in my kitchen, wanting to explain, careful not to, while he told me we’d marched one too many times, written one too many letters, screamed one too many words. “You women. You need to be taught a lesson.”

There will be the inevitable comparisons to The Handmaid's Tale, of course. I personally could not slog my way through The Handmaid's Tale,, so I can't speak to those comparisons. I can only tell you that if you aren't outraged by the very IDEA that this could happen, there may be something wrong with you.

I did feel like the ending was slightly rushed, but not to the point that it took away from the rest of the story. It was a satisfying, hopeful ending.

What would you do to be free?
  
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The Year After You
The Year After You
Nina de Pass | 2019 | Fiction & Poetry, Young Adult (YA)
8
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
The protagonist in this story is Cara, a seventeen-year-old girl from California, who was sent to a boarding school in the Swiss mountains. She has lost her friend in a car accident, and she was the one who was driving. Cara is a very interesting character, her life is full of guilt and grief. This book taught me a very valuable lesson, that different people deal with grief very differently. Some people find it easier and some harder to deal with someone’s death. Cara is very emotionally intriguing, she feels so much self-loath, and it is very interesting to see how she communicates with people around her. I loved this great variety of characters chosen for this book, I loved all Cara’s friends in Switzerland, they are truly amazing. My favourite character in this book was Hector, he is absolutely charming! He reminds me of Edward from The Twilight Saga, whom I truly adored. 😀

The narrative is not very exciting at the beginning, but slowly the author brings in little adventures, quite a bit of romance and plenty of Cara’s thoughts. I really loved the boarding school itself, it sounded a little like Hogwarts, surrounded by mountains, and it feels like a happy place, where people actually want to return to. I really liked that the plot was set in different locations, it felt livelier and more indulging.

I really enjoyed the writing style of this book, I can not understand how the author portrayed the grief, its effects through a confused teenager, so masterfully. The language used in this novel is easy to understand and it was a very enjoyable read. The chapters have a very decent length and it didn’t get boring, because every chapter brought in something new. I loved the ending of this book, it rounded up the story very nicely.

To conclude, I really enjoyed this novel, even though it is filled with grief and emotions, the other characters make it quite an entertaining and pleasant read. I loved the diversity and wide variety of true personalities. I do strongly recommend this book if you know someone who has difficulty of dealing with loss, it will help you to understand them in some way. (I know it helped me) 🙂 And of course, don’t forget to enjoy this amazing Cara’s story.
  
In Disguise - Single by Ashe
In Disguise - Single by Ashe
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Album Rating
Ashe is a talented singer-songwriter based in California. Not too long ago, she released a lovely alternative-pop tune, entitled, “In Disguise”, released via Mom + Pop Music.

“I was living free like I wanted to, but they laughed at me. So, I came to you asking for a good time and a ticket out of my mind. You said people ‘round the world will try to bring you down. Told me don’t give in to the power, you got power yourself. Everybody’s got their reasons they can all go to hell if they like.” – lyrics

‘In Disguise’ tells an interesting tale of a young woman who would rather be hated for who she is than waste it all giving a damn.

Apparently, she would rather dig her own grave than to listen to what people have to say about her.

Later, she admits that it’s beneficial to follow your own heart. Also, it’s important to find out who your friends are in disguise.

‘In Disguise’ contains a relatable storyline, ear-welcoming vocals, and groovy instrumentation scented with an alternative-pop aroma.

“‘In Disguise’ is about having healthy boundaries with the people around you. I don’t want to make everyone feel suspicious about the people they love. I just know there have been several people in my life who were seemingly ‘there for me’ when they really just wanted to use me. It’s just another look at the human condition.” – Ashe

‘In Disguise’ marks the announcement of the sprawling Mom’s First Headline Tour presented by Live Nation’s Ones To Watch and features support from Charlie Burg.

Ones To Watch is Live Nation’s discovery platform for emerging artists of all genres. As avid supporters of Ashe’s music since day one, they are proud to present what is set to be the prolific talent’s breakout tour.

⇒ Buy Tickets to see Ashe perform ⇐
The trek will begin on September 10th in Washington, DC, and run through October 25th as she wraps up over a month of performances in Atlanta, Georgia.

Ashe has established an incredible track record which includes being Amazon’s 2019 Artists To Watch, performing on Last Call with Carson Daly, and co-writing Demi Lovato’s hit single, entitled, “You Don’t Do It For Me Anymore”.

Her music has amassed over 48M global streams online, repeated appearances on Spotify’s Global Viral 50, and nine HypeM #1 slots in a row.
  
Prom - Single by COTIS
Prom - Single by COTIS
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Album Rating
Ashe is a talented singer-songwriter based in California. Not too long ago, she released a lovely alternative-pop tune, entitled, “In Disguise”, released via Mom + Pop Music.

“I was living free like I wanted to, but they laughed at me. So, I came to you asking for a good time and a ticket out of my mind. You said people ‘round the world will try to bring you down. Told me don’t give in to the power, you got power yourself. Everybody’s got their reasons they can all go to hell if they like.” – lyrics

‘In Disguise’ tells an interesting tale of a young woman who would rather be hated for who she is than waste it all giving a damn.

Apparently, she would rather dig her own grave than to listen to what people have to say about her.

Later, she admits that it’s beneficial to follow your own heart. Also, it’s important to find out who your friends are in disguise.

‘In Disguise’ contains a relatable storyline, ear-welcoming vocals, and groovy instrumentation scented with an alternative-pop aroma.

“‘In Disguise’ is about having healthy boundaries with the people around you. I don’t want to make everyone feel suspicious about the people they love. I just know there have been several people in my life who were seemingly ‘there for me’ when they really just wanted to use me. It’s just another look at the human condition.” – Ashe

‘In Disguise’ marks the announcement of the sprawling Mom’s First Headline Tour presented by Live Nation’s Ones To Watch and features support from Charlie Burg.

Ones To Watch is Live Nation’s discovery platform for emerging artists of all genres. As avid supporters of Ashe’s music since day one, they are proud to present what is set to be the prolific talent’s breakout tour.

⇒ Buy Tickets to see Ashe perform ⇐
The trek will begin on September 10th in Washington, DC, and run through October 25th as she wraps up over a month of performances in Atlanta, Georgia.

Ashe has established an incredible track record which includes being Amazon’s 2019 Artists To Watch, performing on Last Call with Carson Daly, and co-writing Demi Lovato’s hit single, entitled, “You Don’t Do It For Me Anymore”.

Her music has amassed over 48M global streams online, repeated appearances on Spotify’s Global Viral 50, and nine HypeM #1 slots in a row.