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Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated Stirring the Sheets in Books

Jan 31, 2019

Stirring the Sheets isn’t exactly what I’d call horror, and in that regard, I’m a bit disappointed. The story, on the other hand, is heartbreaking and tear inducing. Lutzke definitely has a way with words and I’ll read more of his work in the future.

Emmett is an elderly man working at a funeral home. His wife of more than fifty years passed away in a tragic accident, leaving him heartbroken and lonely. As he spirals downward in grief, a young woman that bears an uncanny resemblance to his wife in her 30s commits suicide. Emmett does the unthinkable, out of sheer desperation.

Reading this story made me really sad. The characters are well-written and easy to connect with and the plot moves along at a reasonable pace. Throughout the story, I felt sorry for Emmett and I hoped for the best for him. His neighbor Rosemary is a total doll, too. I gobbled this one up, even though it failed to meet my usual expectations for something that’s labeled horror and it was worth the read.

I received a copy of this book for free. This is my unbiased opinion.

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ClareR (5726 KP) rated Gravity Is The Thing in Books

Dec 30, 2019

Gravity Is The Thing

Jaclyn Moriarty | 2019 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry

9.0

(2 Ratings)

Book Rating

Gravity Is The Thing is such a lovely, heartwarming book. The main character, Abigail, has had her fair share of grief and hard times already in her life. When she is given the opportunity to go on a retreat connected to ‘The Guidebook’ that she has been receiving chapters of since she was a teenager, Abigail jumps at the chance. When she is selected to be one of the few chosen from a large group to find out the true meaning of The Guidebook, she is stunned at the big reveal. As are the other chosen few. They all leave, feeling disillusioned. But when the course leader, Wilbur, phones her, apologises, and asks if she’ll come to the weekly classes near to where she lives, she agrees. We learn much more about the participants, and Abigail in particular. She’s a single mum who runs her own business, and she works hard.

This was a gorgeous book. It made me laugh and cry, and made me think about my own life as well. Highly recommended!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.

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Lindsay (1717 KP) rated The Crow's Call (Amish Greenhouse Mystery #1) in Books

Mar 19, 2020

The Crows Call is a good story. I enjoyed it. The storyline is about the Kings. If you remember Michelle from the Prayer Jars series. Well, we meet up with Michelle and Ezekiel once again. You will be surprised when you do.

I am glad to see them once again. We get to see a bit more of their storyline. Though this takes place mostly around the King's greenhouse and the King's family. There something tragic that happens, and those remaining have to deal with it. They seem to deal with it in different ways.

Though this seems to be mostly Amy King and Jared's story? How will Amy deal with the tragic events that hit her and family? Wanda seems to show how everyone deals with grief in their way. Though we see each family member cope in different ways.

Henry seems to be the one that struggles the most. How will he deal with it? Everyone seems to tell him what to do. There seem to be a silver lining to his way. He seems to attach to a crow and when to train it. Will he be able to?

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lurkykitty (3 KP) rated Saint X in Books

Mar 26, 2020

Saint X

Alexis Schaitkin | 2020 | Thriller

8.0

(3 Ratings)

Book Rating

A compelling and intelligent mystery

When Claire is only seven years old, her eighteen year-old sister Alison disappears and is found dead when their family takes a vacation on a Caribbean island. This book takes place mostly in NYC where Claire, now called Emily, is a young adult working at her first job. By happenstance, she runs into one of the men from the island who was accused of killing her sister, but was not convicted due to lack of evidence. She befriends this man to learn more about what happened to her sister, to the detriment of her own mental health. The initial impression of this book was that it would be a fast paced thriller with a stunning conclusion. However, it is more a commentary on unresolved grief, the assumptions that are made based on race and class, and how one event can shatter the lives of so many. It could still be categorized as a mystery. I found the multiple points of view valuable in understanding the characters and events. Even though, at times, Saint X did not move quickly, it was still a compelling and interesting read.