Search

Search only in certain items:

A Song of Home is the third novel in the Pearl Spence series In this novel we find Pearl living in Bliss with her father and Ray, leaving the thoughts of Red River Oklahoma and her mama far behind her.
Pearl settles into a new routine of school, helping Aunt Carrie at the farm, hanging out with Ray or getting lost in a good book and then Opal shows her how to dance. But things change when Mama comes home unexpectedly and pregnant! It isn’t the happy return that Pearl had wished for.
This is a delightful story of the great depression and the swing era. In this novel deals with a couple of issues; one is forgiveness and the other is the racial conflict that was happening at that time.
This book teaches us to reach out with love and to treat others as we would want to be treated; whether we are poor, the color of our skin or the choices we have made in life.
The author has an ability to bring the characters to life and make you feel like you are right there amongst the characters. Ms. Finkbeiner has done a brilliant job bringing the characters to life. I love how she writes the story through Pearl's eyes and makes us realize that our actions have consequences, our children watch what we do and how we react.
A very good book and a great ending to this series. This novel can be read alone by itself, but I highly recommend that the whole series be read.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
  
I read A Note of Madness a little while ago and absolutely loved it. Flynn is a great character, and the story of his struggles with mental health is just fantastic. There can never be too much awareness, especially in boys/men.

This book was even more... emotional for me. I don't want to go into too much detail, but Flynn really reminds me of my boyfriend. The ending of this novel - while fantastic and honest - was not very comforting at all.

Jennah and Flynn started dating after the first book, and so in this book we alternate between the two narratives. Hearing Jennah's thoughts on what's happening with Flynn was amazing. I related to a lot of it.

In case you haven't heard about A Note of Madness, it's about Flynn Laukonen, a young uni student in London. He struggles with mental health problems and is misdiagnosed at first, but eventually correctly diagnosed with bipolar disorder. He suffers from extreme manic episodes, followed by severe depression. Fitting his music - especially competitions - around these episodes is quite a feat.

As I mentioned earlier, the ending is great. It was extremely bittersweet. I think it's good to be honest about things like this, though, and not just throw together a stereotypical happy ending.

In this book, Flynn goes through a few treatment methods. Following attempted suicide (which may be hard for some people to read about, so be warned) he is sectioned and sent to a residential unit for a month. He also has some issues involving his medication and the side effects they cause.

The most noteworthy thing about Jennah's take on Flynn's illness is her admitting that Flynn can be horrible and can hurt her sometimes, and it's okay to recognise that. Just because he is ill does not mean he is excused for harmful and mean behaviour. This is so important for anyone to realise when dealing with a loved one with any kind of mental health problems.

A really good book, realistic and reassuring but really quite emotional. 4 stars.
  
The Little Teashop on Main
The Little Teashop on Main
Jodi Thomas | 2019 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
An Emotional Read
I'd been wanting to read The Little Teashop on Main by Jodi Thomas for awhile. When the opportunity presented itself, I jumped at the chance. I must say this book really packs a punch when it comes to emotions!

The plot for The Little Teashop on Main was done brilliantly! Jodi Thomas has written a beautiful story that really sucks you in and makes you feel every single written word. Zoe, Shannon, and Emily meet for a tea party whenever they can starting from when they were little. As the story progresses, the reader gets to watch each of the girls grow into strong women. The reader gets to grow up with all of the girls through all of the ups and downs of life. Each chapter in the book is focused on a certain character so the reader gets to gain that character's perspective on things. While there are similar story lines to The Little Teashop on Main, Jodi Thomas does such an excellent job of making this one feel unique. I felt like I was instantly transported to the small town of Laurel Springs whenever I was reading The Little Teashop on Main. While there weren't any major plot twists, I felt as if this was the type of book that doesn't need to rely on plot twists to keep it interesting. The emotional pull is all it needs. I loved how there were no cliffhangers and all of my questions were answered by the end of the book.

The characters in The Little Teashop on Main were so well written and such a delight to read about! I loved every one of them. Usually I have a favorite, but I would hate to be forced to choose just one favorite. I loved Zoe's zest for life. Her larger than life presence was such a joy to read about. I would have loved to have a friendship like Zoe's and Jack's. Shannon had such a great work ethic that was admirable. Just how focused she was was an inspiration. I kept on wanting things between her and Jack to work out. I don't think I've ever wanted to a couple to be together more than Jack and Shannon. Shannon was such a planner and so focused. Sometimes I wanted to just grab her by the shoulders until she realized how great she'd be with Jack! I just wanted to hug Emily. She had struggled with depression for so long. I could relate to her the most. Emily was such a sweet girl that blossomed into a sweet woman. I was always cheering Emily on when I would read about her. I loved how much Jack cared about all three girls and how much he loved them all. He was such a loyal friend. I'm glad I got to read and get to know Fuller. What a sweet boy/man he turned out to be! Alex and Mack were also great characters and great parents. The love for their daughters was so obvious. The way the townspeople of Laurel Springs came together was so heartwarming to read about.

I will admit that the first 45 percent or so of The Little Teashop on Main was a little slow. I did wonder if I had made a mistake with this book. However, I'm glad I persevered. The pacing quickly picked up after that, and I could not put this novel down. I hungered for more, yet I would become sad because I realized that this story would be over soon. When I did finish The Little Teashop on Main, I was disappointed only because I wished it didn't have to end!

Trigger warnings for The Little Teashop on Main include depression, suicide attempts, cancer, a car accident (wounds aren't described too graphically), and sex (although not graphic).

All in all, The Little Teashop on Main is such a heartwarming read. This book makes you feel as if you are one of the characters. It is written so beautifully, and I can't gush enough about how great it is! I would definitely recommend The Little Teashop on Main by Jodi Thomas to those aged 16+. This book gets a 4.5 out of 5 stars from me.
--
(Thanks to HQN for providing me with a paperback of The Little Teashop on Main by Jodi Thomas in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)