Every month, I can’t believe how fast the year is going. It’s November already! The start of a new month means that it’s time for another Reading Lately linkup. Make sure you link up with Alison of Puppies & Pretties and I at the bottom of the post. I didn’t get as much reading done because I’m taking several classes and I had to dedicate a lot of time to reading and studying.
And for the first time since I’ve started participating, I’ve finally finished the Book Challenge by Erin! I’m so proud of myself! Except I don’t have the book review for the last book ready yet, so I’ll have it next month! Anyway, I read some good books this month, and I can’t wait to see what you’ve been reading.
The linkup is at the bottom of the post. Don’t forget to join Reading Lately on Facebook!
Broken Love by Evan Grace
c/o Quirky Blind Date With a Book
After Abby is raped, she falls into a downward spiral of drinking, drug abuse, and random hookups to feel better. Finally she tries to commit suicide. After lots of rehab, Abby is finally on the road to recovery. She moves back in with her cousin/best friend and is trying to get over her past. Abby works at a dance studio where she teaches little girls to dance. One evening she meets the father of one of the little girls and feels an instant connection. As she wonders if she’s ready to be more serious with Ben, someone starts stalking Abby.
The book is difficult to review as it touches on some sensitive issues. It deals with rape, drug addiction, depression, suicide, and stalking. But I do think it was done extremely well. It doesn’t go into too much detail with the rape or drug addiction. On the contrary, it’s quite empowering as it portrays a girl who has been so hurt and betrayed overcome her fears and struggles. I really like the message it portrays about her healing not being due to anyone but her own strength.
However, I found a few typos throughout the novel. And while the book sums up nicely, I think it was a little rushed. 3-3.5/5
Plan Bea by Hilary Grossman
c/o Quirky Blind Date With a Book
Annabel and her mother don’t have much of a relationship. After a drunk driver killed her brother years ago, Anabel and her mother became estranged. They have a scheduled phone call once a week to catch up. But when Bea meets a man on a cruise with friends, she reaches out to Annabel for help planning her wedding. While they plan for Bea’s wedding, they express feelings that have been held back for years and begin to heal their relationship. They discover the dark secrets that have kept them estranged since the accident.
There are some interesting twists I guess you could say, but honestly, I just found the book a little boring. Some of it was just hard to imagine. And I found a lot of typos throughout the novel. It is nice to see a novel about repairing relationships, but it really wasn’t for me. 2.5/5
Haunting The Deep by Adriana Mather
c/o NetGalley
Samantha Mather is part of a circle of friends who are direct descendants of witches from the Salem Witch Trials. They can all do magic, but her father is against everything related to magic. When Samantha starts having recurring dreams about the Titanic that seem more real than a dream, strange things start happening. A little girl randomly appears, Samantha brings back items from her dreams, and strange gifts are delivered from a deceased aunt who survived the Titanic. As the Descendants try to get to the bottom of it, Samantha’s dad threatens to move away from Salem to stop her from doing magic, until they find themselves in a life threatening situation.
I didn’t realize this was the second book in a series; it can definitely be read as a standalone. And I still really enjoyed it. I missed some history from the first book. The author does an excellent job of recapping events from the first book, but it definitely started a little slow for me without that prior knowledge. And it picks up as the story goes on and found myself unable to put it down.
I love history, Salem Witch Trials, and the Titanic; so this was definitely a fun historical fiction take on all three. A lot of the book focuses on the lesser known passengers from the Titanic. And I like that the book tells some important messages. And there is lots of fun information about the Titanic. I also love the strong female friendship of girls that didn’t really fit in with everyone else. While I started to guess at certain things that were happening, I didn’t know what was going to happen.
This is a unique telling of the Titanic, full of ghosts and witchcraft. And I definitely plan to go back and read the first book now! I definitely recommend this book. It was also a perfect book right before Halloween. 4/5 stars
Don’t forget to link up with us and grab our reading lately button to put in your posts! Add a recent book related post and we’d appreciate it if you would visit some of the other blogs! If you don’t blog, then let me know in the comments what you’ve been reading lately.
What an interesting combination of Salem Witches and the Titanic!
I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I really liked it! It was a very unique idea, and I like the Titanic so I liked that part too haha.