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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated I'd Give Anything in Books
Jun 11, 2020
At eighteen, Ginny "Zinny" Beale is a lighthearted, fun, brave girl with a close group of friends and brother with whom she can unite against their uptight mother. But one night changes all of that. Someone sets the town's high school on fire and in the aftermath, the father of Ginny's best friend, Gray, is dead. The townspeople look for someone to blame--leaving most of it on a troubled teen--but Ginny learns some news that changes her entire world. She tells no one, but the secret alters her life and leaves her an outcast among her friends and family. Over the next twenty years, Ginny transitions, settling down, returning to her hometown and marrying Harris, a professor. They have a daughter, Avery, and Ginny cares for her mother, who is dying. But when scandal rocks the town again--this time focused on Harris--Ginny has to make some choices. It's time to confront the past and the secret she's kept buried all this time.
"In one night, one night, I lost all of them."
I adore Marisa de los Santos and her writing, though this wasn't my favorite of her books. Still, she's just so good at capturing the little moments in life: nailing down the feelings and emotions of her characters. Ginny, Avery, and others spring to life in this one. The story swings between past and present, with older excerpts often told from Ginny's diary entries. It takes a while to learn Ginny's big secret, which is a bit of a pet peeve of mine: I'm not always a fan of dragging out a secret.
This is a poignant and sad read, delving into marriage, love, and parenthood. My favorite character was fifteen-year-old Avery, who is hit hard by the incident involving her father, Harris. In many ways, I was far more invested in Avery's growth than Ginny's--I liked Ginny, but I couldn't quite find myself fully wanting to root for her. Although the juxtaposition between young Zinny and present-day Ginny was quite well-done.
Did you stop being your old selves? Did they fall away? Were you always only the self you were in the present?
The book explores how one secret can so change a person and the ripple effect it has on many lives. Ms. de los Santos examines her characters very closely via her writing, and I will always love picking up her books and getting an intimate look at her cast of players. In the end, this is a touching and well-written novel, even if I couldn't always find myself fully engaged in Ginny's world. 3.75 stars, rounded to 4 here.
"In one night, one night, I lost all of them."
I adore Marisa de los Santos and her writing, though this wasn't my favorite of her books. Still, she's just so good at capturing the little moments in life: nailing down the feelings and emotions of her characters. Ginny, Avery, and others spring to life in this one. The story swings between past and present, with older excerpts often told from Ginny's diary entries. It takes a while to learn Ginny's big secret, which is a bit of a pet peeve of mine: I'm not always a fan of dragging out a secret.
This is a poignant and sad read, delving into marriage, love, and parenthood. My favorite character was fifteen-year-old Avery, who is hit hard by the incident involving her father, Harris. In many ways, I was far more invested in Avery's growth than Ginny's--I liked Ginny, but I couldn't quite find myself fully wanting to root for her. Although the juxtaposition between young Zinny and present-day Ginny was quite well-done.
Did you stop being your old selves? Did they fall away? Were you always only the self you were in the present?
The book explores how one secret can so change a person and the ripple effect it has on many lives. Ms. de los Santos examines her characters very closely via her writing, and I will always love picking up her books and getting an intimate look at her cast of players. In the end, this is a touching and well-written novel, even if I couldn't always find myself fully engaged in Ginny's world. 3.75 stars, rounded to 4 here.
Agent A: A puzzle in disguise
Games and Entertainment
App
Agent A, your new mission is in from headquarters. An enemy spy known as Ruby La Rouge has been...
ClareR (5955 KP) rated Blanket of Snow in Books
Apr 29, 2019
This picks up where The Eye of the Storm ended. If you’ve wondered what happened to Lydia and her mates, then this short story begins to tell you just that. Lydia seems much more at home in her own (wolf) skin, but she still has a secret that she’s keeping from her mates. This was only an hour long read, but it was such a GOOD read! I’m really looking forward to more from the Surrey pack in the future!
Trish (4 KP) rated The Lightkeeper's Daughters in Books
Feb 8, 2018
While this book started out quickly, the middle slogged on for me. But the last 1/4 of the book had me on the edge of my seat. I had figured out the secret halfway through but I still needed to know the ending. It didn't disappoint. What a wonderful story. I feel as if I have been to Poryphry Island. The authors descriptions are incredible. I really got to know the characters and was quite content at the end of the novel.
Trevor (3 KP) rated Rising Sun in Tabletop Games
Nov 17, 2018
Excellent Game
This game has some of the best miniatures I've ever seen. The board is beautiful and both clearly show the love the makers have for what they do. The rules are easy to pick up for most adults, even though scoring in this game is kind of strange. You can clearly do the best on the board for the entire game and still lose because of some special conditions other players can purchase in secret.
James Koppert (2698 KP) rated Our Endless Numbered Days in Books
Nov 28, 2019
This one came from out of nowhere
never heard of Claire Fuller before or this book and actually got it in a secret santa at work. Well Santa knows me well because it was bloody fantastic. My poor kids were hungry because I found it hard to not pick it up when I came home from work and hard to put it down afterwards. This is a disturbing and gripping story that is so upsetting because its entirely believable.
The Fragrance of Sufism
Book
This trilogy includes: The Treasure of God's Path, a clear and comprehensive presentation of the...
Mental_floss Two-Layer Crosswords
Book
Spiralbound binding makes the book easy to write in. These wonderfully themed and witty crosswords...
Just Start Real Estate with Mike Simmons
Podcast
New shows 5 Days a week! Mondays are an interview with a successful real estate investor. I get to...
Three Birds
Book
A startling and darkly comic drama about childhood, family and fantasy. Winner of the Bruntwood...