Show Us Your Books {November 2019}

I got to join in for a fun blog hop yesterday so I'm a day late on my book post.

... but better late than never, right?

All We Ever Wanted / Emily Giffin
*** / Liked It

Quick Summary:  A photo comes out that links a wealthy family's child to violating a girl who has a ordinary life with a single father & the families struggle to deal with the situation.

I didnt know what this book was about or where it was headed by reading the summary on the book cover.  This was just tough to read after watching 13 Reasons Why Season 3 & seeing what violating someone does to the victim & those around them.

I just like the ease of Emily Giffin's writing - always have.  I also enjoyed the different POV in this as well.

I left the book with a heavy heart & feeling frustrated at the things that happen in this world with social status & privilege & how those who are violated get swept under the rug & live with a fear of voicing truth.  It's reality though.

“Justice isn’t only about what a person deserves, but also about what a person needs.”

Things to Save in a Fire

**** / Really Liked it

Quick Summary:  A female firefighter moves home to take care of a mother who left her when she was 16 & she has to prove herself to a new firehouse of men while also training a Rookie.

I didnt think I was going to like this book in the first chapter, but it took a quick turn & I was hooked.

I am finding I like the ease of Katherine Center's writing.  

This book touches on forgiveness & a woman's struggle of making it in a man's world.  I love Cassie - a real tough woman character.

Also love just the little nod to How to Walk Away.  Catch it in that first chapter if you read it.

“Choosing to love—despite all the ways that people let you down, and disappear, and break your heart. Knowing everything we know about how hard life is and choosing to love, anyway.. That’s not weakness, that’s courage.”

The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs
DNF

Quick Summary:  A young tenure professor finds out she's a direct descendant of witches back to the days of Salem.

I picked this up thinking it would be a great read for Halloween.  OH MY GOSH - I was struggling hard.  So much talk... so slow... such big words about professor life. I just couldnt.

Shame because I was totally getting Practical Magic vibes where the husbands of these witches die.... but I had to stop around page 75 because I felt like I was going to poke my own eyes.  Maybe I'm just too 'light minded' to follow big words & forever long descriptions.  Honestly, there was one sentence that I had to look up EVERY word for because I'd never even heard of each of the 8+ letter long words.  Geez.

I tapped out

Covenant Child
* / Did not like it

Quick Summary:  The granddaughters of a billionaire are the heirs to a fortune after their mother had died when they were little & their father dies unexpectedly. Their step mother loves them & vows to take care of them but their maternal grandparents take in the "Billion Dollar Babies" to get the money.  The twins grow up thinking the step mother has stolen the money from them. 

OK... so the book before was so advanced I couldnt take it... this one was so simple, I couldnt take it. I nearly quit because it was just like a 10th grader wrote it.  One sentence lines.  Weird "hillbilly" speak for the maternal grandparents.  The ending was just enough to make me shut the book & say, "That was so dumb"...I should say, "What ending?" - it just closed so abruptly & sorry, it was just - dumb.

I will probably offend some people but this is what I really dislike about Christian writing.  It's just too light in writing.  I value & love when books can center around scripture & use God in their writing & Christians for the characters - but there's a line where they put a stigma on christian novels & this is it.  This was just too juvenile for me.




The Residence:  Inside the Private World of the White House
** / It was OK

Quick Summary:  Interviews & a look with the staff that runs the white house

I saw someone mention this on the last Show Us Your Books & this sort of thing intrigues me - so looked & my library had it.

I found parts of it really interesting - loved the parts where it would give some insight on the President & First Family. A little look to see who they really are in private, behind the scenes.  I thought it was a little "jumpy" though.  They'd be talking about one President / era in one paragraph & another one in the next.

Each chapter was divided by Situations... like Secrets or Scandals or Children of the White House... I almost wish it was divided into each Presidential term instead.

I will say, this did make me love all the Bush families even more.  Even the staff doesnt seem to say a bad word about them.  Barbara Bush has to be the kindest First Lady ever.

“Yet the very thing that the staff most pride themselves on—their ability to fade into the background—can also be dehumanizing.”