Take Your Breath Away and more

I finished up Take Your Breath Away a few days ago and it did not turn out to be a dud. I ended up reading the last half in a single, late-night sitting because I could.not.put.it.down! Definitely did not disappoint but I can't add much to the stuff I mentioned in my last post without giving away spoilers and plot twists. Let's just say you think you know where this book is going and then BAM! everything changes. More than once. 

Now it's on to the next thing. I just picked up Woman on Fire by Lisa Barr. I'm only a few chapters in, but so far it seems promising. I'll update more on this one later. 

Another book I'm slowly but surely making my way through is Midnight Rising by Tony Horwitz. This book tells the story of John Brown and the raid on Harper's Ferry. While not as good as Horwitz's classic Confederates in the Attic, one of my favorite books and one which I recommend all the time, it's interesting and gives a lot of detail and insight into one of the most misunderstood men in American history. Brown was taught as a bad guy in my history classes when I was growing up in a small town in Virginia, but that's a very southern view of Brown. In reality, Brown wasn't nearly so crazy and bad as I was taught. Instead, he was a staunch abolitionist - to the point of zealotry. He was a flawed, yet great man who was unique for his time, even among abolitionists, for his acceptance of and true belief that all men were created equal. He was a crappy husband and not the best father, but damn, the guy had a cause and he went for it. We have to admire him for that. Midnight Rising is a bit slow and not Horwitz's most compelling book, but it's still worth a read, in my humble opinion. 

Something New

 Well, it's been quite an interesting few years, hasn't it? I could write a long entry here about what I've been up to and How the Pandemic Has Affected Me, but instead, let's talk books, ok?

I've been all over the place in my reading. From literary fiction to the trashiest romance, it doesn't matter - I've been reading just about everything. I just haven't had time to write down my thoughts about anything. Being in school full time while taking care of a family doesn't leave much freedom to sit and think about what I've read, let alone analyze and draft a coherent review. 

All excuses about not writing more aside, I am committing to bringing this blog back from the dead. Hopefully it can function as something of a portfolio after I graduate next spring. At the very least, committing to a schedule of writing will keep me focused and in fighting (writing) form. 

Now that that's all out of the way, here's what I just finished up: 

Hell in the Heartland: Murder, Meth, and the Case of Two Missing Girls by Jax Miller. I found this true crime story heartbreaking and compelling. One thing that drew me to this book is that the crimes described in it took place in Oklahoma, a few hours from where I live. It's interesting learning about the more rural areas of the state that I haven't visited in my time here. The mystery described is heartbreaking and frustrating - particularly the ineptness of the police assigned to investigate. Miller's writing is at times almost too personal, yet it works. She clearly feels very connected to the case and the families involved and this comes through very strongly in her writing. Anyone who appreciated Michelle McNamara's style in I'll Be Gone in the Dark is likely to also be a fan of Hell in the Heartland. 

I'm reading a whole stack of books right now but the one I find myself drawn to and looking forward to the most is Take Your Breath Away, by Linwood Barclay. I picked it up off of the New Arrivals shelf at my local library on a whim and am so glad I did. This is the first book I've read by Barclay but I have a feeling this is an author I'll be seeking out again. Take Your Breath Away is a thriller/mystery that's giving me very slight Gone Girl vibes in that (spoilers!) it involves a missing woman who is maybe not so missing after all. Basically, it goes like this: Brie Mason goes missing one weekend while her husband is away on a fishing trip. Of course the police suspect her husband, Andrew, because it's always the husband, right? They are never able to build a case against him though and life eventually goes on. Six years later their old house has been sold and torn down when a strange woman unexpectedly pulls up in the driveway with a trunk full of groceries. As she makes her way towards the house, she stops in shock, yells "Where is my house?" drops her bags of groceries, and flees. Was it Brie? And if so, where has she been all this time? I'm just at the part where the action is really getting going and I can't put it down. Highly recommend this one so far. If it turns out to be a dud though, I'll let you know!