BOOK REVIEW: The People We Hate at the Wedding by Grant Ginder

Book: The People We Hate at the Wedding
Author: Grant Ginder
Publisher: Flatiron Books, an imprint of Macmillan
Year First Published: 2017

ISBN: 9781250095206
Genre: contemporary fiction, dysfunctional family

Pairs well with a flute of champagne,

chocolate covered strawberries,

and a fainting couch.

I had really high hopes for The People We Hate at the Wedding by Grant Ginder, and although I did enjoy reading it, it wasn’t as stellar as I wanted it to be – maybe because I saw some of myself in each of the main characters? Maybe I didn’t like what I saw?

Whatever the reason, I do think this is a worthy read, regardless. The book centers around a brother and sister, their mom, and their half-sister. None of them are particularly nice, but they are all written in a manner that makes them painfully human and real.

First, there’s Alice. She used to be carefree and up-and-coming until a personal loss – a tragedy, really – sent her fleeing from real life into a pseudo-existence in Los Angeles where she (and if she were a real person, I think she’d agree) became a cliché. And, she’s doing her best to avoid dealing with her loss, even if it means pushing others away.

Second, we have Paul. Paul and Alice are brother and sister. Paul has all kinds of relationship issues ranging from a manipulative boyfriend to an overly protective mother to a father that wasn’t at all the person Paul thought his dad to be.

Next, we come to Eloise. Eloise is posh and poised. She’s Paul and Alice’s older sister – nay, half-sister – and they never really let her forget the “half” part of that equation. Eloise is the one getting married and Paul and Alice revel in picking apart every aspect of the wedding plans. For Eloise, outward appearances are almost everything, and she spends extensive amounts of time second guessing herself in order to put on an outer shell, masking what might be a rich inner life. She just wants everyone to be happy.

Then, we come to the matriarch – Donna. On the one hand, Donna is a great mom. She loves all of her children deeply and thoroughly and would do just about anything to protect them. On the other hand, I think she’s tired and just wants her kids to grow up already and to find happiness. She tries very hard to help them, but at the same time she has her own issues to deal with related to a failed marriage to Eloise’s dad (he’s charming, but a cad) and with the death of Alice and Paul’s father who turns out not to be quite what Paul thought he was.

Grant Ginder managed to write characters that are so real that I think most of us will see ourselves or those we know in these people.

And, while I mentioned that The People We Hate at the Wedding wasn’t all I had hoped it would be, the very last several pages redeem any shortcomings. Ginder ties up all the loose ends and pulls it all together in a satisfying manner that had me smiling and thinking, “Yes. These people are real and I so want them to carry on with one another and to keep trying to be the people they want each other to be.” Ginder doesn’t give us a “happily ever after” ending, but one that is real and satisfying. I definitely recommend The People We Hate at the Wedding for this alone (although the rest of it is worth reading too!).

What was the last book you read that left you satisfied and glad you’d read it, even if it wasn’t what you’d hoped it would be? Drop a comment and let me know! 

While I found The People We Hate at the Wedding at my local library, you can also find it on Amazon HERE.

BOOK REVIEW: The Unsettlers: In Search of the Good Life in Today’s America by Mark Sundeen

Book: The Unsettlers: In Search of the Good Life in Today's America
Author: Mark Sundeen
Publisher: Riverhead Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC
Year First Published: 2016

ISBN: 9781594631580
Genre: non-fiction, homesteading, modern farming

• Pairs well with homemade lemonade in a mason jar, a front porch rocking chair, and a farmer’s bandanna (I always thought "bandanna" was spelled "bandana" but spell check says it is not. Hm....)

I have to admit that I did not read The Unsettlers: In Search of the Good Life in Today's America by Mark Sundeen in a timely manner – I was interrupted by moving house just as I was coming up on the last few chapters. 

But, funnily enough, that move was from a suburban three bedroom two-and-a-half bath suburban split-level house to 30 acres with a metal barn, a bunch of cows, and a fifth wheel in the country.

My move and the timing with my reading of The Unsettlers was pretty perfect, though not quite what I had planned.

I first came across The Unsettlers at my local library as I was wandering aimlessly, trying to kill time before an appointment. As often happens, I spotted the cover on a shelf, face out as a “highlighted” book and was intrigued by the cover. I am not ashamed to admit that I do judge books by their covers and often the cover is the deciding factor in whether or not a book gets to come home with me. I loved the whimsical hand doodled look and couldn’t resist the tagline of “In search of the good life in today’s America.” 

I mean, aren’t we all looking for the “good life” in some way or another?

The book captivated me right away and I quickly sped through chapters about grassroots farming movements in both rural and urban settings, backyard homesteading, and all manner of levels of commitment to living on and from the land. Although The Unsettlers is a work of non-fiction, exploring homesteading and “the good life” across the United States, it reads like a novel and I came to think of many of the people that Sundeen writes about as characters. I adored Olivia, an urban homesteader and pragmatist in Detroit and rural Luci, a no-nonsense woman of the land. I wanted to know these people. I wanted to meet them and learn from them.

Sundeen’s writing is so engaging that, by the time I did finish the book, I felt like I did actually know everyone he wrote about and as if I had learned from them. I learned perseverance in the face of adversity from Olivia and her experiences homesteading in crime addled areas of Detroit and I learned humbleness from Luci in rural Montana.

And, of course, I came away wanting to get my hands in the dirt and to start growing things! Right now, my tomato plants are putting out blossoms and I can’t wait to taste the first harvest!

The Unsettlers also brought back many memories of good times with my grandparents in their huge suburban backyard garden and time spent at my uncle’s farm (now my homestead!) with his cows and horses. I miss my grandparents and uncle very much, and I wish I could go back and relive those glorious days of snapping peas and beans in bowls, plucking carrots from the dirt, and scooping newly fallen apples off the ground. The satisfaction of growing your own food, cleaning it up and processing it, and making a meal out of it is nothing short of wonderful. It is indeed a good life!

If you have any interest in homesteading or farming in the United States or are just looking for a good non-fiction book that reads like a novel, I wholeheartedly encourage you to pick up The Unsettlers. I found it at my local library, but you can purchase it from Amazon HERE.

BOOK REVIEW: Open Grave by Kjell Eriksson

Book: Open Grave
Author: Kjell Eriksson (Translated from Swedish by Paul Norlen)
Publisher: Minotaur Books, an imprint of St. Martin's Publishing Group
Year First Published: 2009 as Öppen grav by Ordfront Förlag

ISBN: 978-1-250-02549-4
Genre: fiction, Scandivian fiction, Nordic noir, mystery, suspense

I had such high hopes for Open Grave by Kjell Eriksson -- the book is one of my favorite genres: Scandinavian (or Nordic) noir. It could have been so great if it hadn't been so slow. Please note: Open Grave appears to be the sixth novel in a series by Eriksson -- have not read the first five.

I'm actually rather amazed that I finished this novel. I kept hoping for it to speed up or for there to be some interesting turn around the next page. The writing (or at least the translation from Swedish to English) was just good enough and the suspense just slightly strong enough that I kept reading and turning pages. By the time I finally felt like nothing really interesting was going to happen and had resigned myself to a lack of plot twists ahead, I was so close to the end of the book that I decided to go ahead and just finish it. 

Sadly, while there were some great suspenseful chapters and pages, they didn't happen until almost the last 50 pages of this 280+ page novel. I really only enjoyed the last 50 pages or so and felt like the rest was just all warm up. If the first 200 pages had been condensed and the last 50 to 80 expanded, the novel would have been so much better! 

Truly, Open Grave did not really begin until nearly its end. 

The novel centers on an old man who has won the Nobel Prize for Medicine, but the award has not come without controversy. There is a jealous neighbor and former coworker, a mysterious gardener, two police officers, a lesbian daughter and her partner, and a trio of house keepers. This book seems to want to be several stories at once but none of them is carried through thoroughly enough for this novel to really feel like a strong work of fiction. The "open grave" is referred to a few times throughout, but makes no sense until the very end of the novel and then the book just...ends. 

I think I'll go back to Jo Nesbo for my next Scandi noir novel -- read my review of Midnight Sun HERE.

Although the stories aren't at all similar except in that they both involve the Nobel Prize and some suspense and tension, I was reminded of the film The Wife with Glenn Close and Jonathan Pryce (with a cameo by Christian Slater) while reading Open Grave. The Wife does include suspense and a lot of marital tension. It was not what I expected, and although it was slow, I was captivated by Close's character and the warped view of himself of Pryce's character. I also enjoyed the acting by Max Irons, the son of one my favorite actors, Jeremy Irons. 

Follow the Amazon links below to check out some of my favorite Scandinavian noir novels -- but if you decide to read the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series, I suggest you SKIP The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye -- read why HERE.

I was so disappointed by Open Grave that I'm not going to bother sharing an Amazon link with you. If you are curious to read it, see if your local library has it first.

Is there a Nordic noir novel that you just love and think I should read? Drop a comment below!

Please note: This post does contain affiliate links. Shopping through these links is at no additional cost to you, although I may receive a small commission from your purchases. I appreciate every single penny. Thank you!

BOOK REVIEW: Planting for Honeybees--The Grower's Guide to Creating a Buzz by Sarah Wyndham Lewis

My son and I recently moved to a 15 acre piece of farm land and are creating our first garden since he was a toddler. I'm so excited! I don't want this to be just any garden, but also a nature habitat for local wildlife, including honeybees, and a source of food for most of our needs throughout the year.

We both envision vegetables, fruits, and flowers. And, abundance!

But, without honeybees to pollinate, why bother?

With that in mind, headed to the library and looked for books on honeybee gardening. I found the sweetest little book -- Planting for Honeybees: The Grower's Guide to Creating a Buzz by Sarah Wyndham Lewis. This book appealed to me for several reasons:

• It's on a topic I am committed to learning and implementing.
• It's short enough to not be overwhelming.
• It's pretty! The illustrations throughout are gorgeous!
• It's easy to read in chunks, but short enough to read all at once.
• It's written in clear language that is easy for a beginner to understand.

I also like how Planting for Honeybees is laid out. There are the usual overview chapters about gardens, bees, and so on, but there are also sections and chapters that are almost like bullet points -- simple, quick lists of plants for various situations and garden sizes, seasonal breakdowns of various plants, and so on. The goal of the book is, in large part, to help you keep honey bees happy all year long.

Although our farm is several acres in size, most of that space is dedicated to cows. We'll be limiting our gardening and crops to a plot that is about 80 feet x 40 feet and almost rectangular. It's a lumpy, bumpy, weed covered, sloping mess, but it's ours and we love it! After my first read through of Planting for Honeybees, we've made some changes to our initial gardening plans and layout and will be including a few patches that we leave wild (we LOVE our dandelion patch!), and we'll be planting some flowers in large groups of single varieties. According to Wyndham Lewis, this is what honeybees really enjoy!

Now, I'm going to sit down with Planting for Honeybees again to make a list of plants to buy and sow now, as well as a list and plan for the rest of the year to keep our bees happy and working!

I'm looking forward to having an abundant flowering garden, busy with the hum of happy bees, and a huge, producing vegetable plot that will help keep our bellies full all summer, fall, and across winter!

You can learn more about Planting for Honeybees and the author, Sarah Wyndham Lewis, by visiting her website HERE.

Do you have a garden? What's your favorite flower to grow? Your favorite vegetable? Leave a comment and let me know!

While I found Planting for Honeybees at my local library (one of my favorite places!), you can find it on Bookshop.org HERE.

BOOK REVIEW: Recipes for Love and Murder—A Tannie Maria Mystery by Sally Andrew

I love fiction plus food, and when recipes are included? Even better! That was certainly the case with Recipes for Love and Murder by Sally Andrew.

This was a fun romp through South African cuisine, a new language for me (Afrikaans), and more than one murder! Although there were parts of the story that were definitely thrilling, it was overall upbeat and funny. The main character, Tannie Maria, is a newspaper columnist who writes recipes and love advice—every piece of love advice revolves around a recipe or a meal. And, throughout the story, she relates to the other characters through food as well.

Frankly, some of the recipes made me hungry and I can’t wait to try some of them!

Recipes for Love and Murder starts off as a mystery around the murder of an abused woman and suspects that include her husband and her best friend, a woman who was in love with the murder victim. Among characters are a slimy grocery store manager, a dashing police officer, a hip young reporter, another shy police officer, an organic farmer, and so on.

The book very briefly delves into politics, discussing Nelson Mandela and pre- and post-Apartheid South Africa. There are a few characters who seem to be racists...but are they really? 

And then, there's more than one couple with mixed signals -- does she like me? Does he like her? Who likes who? 

And, I can’t forget a spectacular character running throughout the entire book: the landscape and the sunrises and sunsets! Truly, these were their own characters and really brought the book to life. I’ve never been to South Africa (or any other part of the African continent!), but the author, Sally Andrew, described it in such rich detail that I could see the flora and fauna in my mind as clearly as if they were in front of me.

By the end of the book, I was longing to sit on Tannie Maria’s porch with her, eating cookies or cake, and watching the sunset.

As a bonus, to help you understand the book which is written in English but with a lot of Afrikaans sprinkled throughout, there is a glossary at the back; however, you can get the general meaning of most words from the context.

Recipes for Love and Murder by Sally Andrew is a nice, easy read that kept me interested throughout. I hope you’ll enjoy it too!

What are you reading right now?

***Please note: Links may be affiliate links 

from which I may receive

a small commission at no extra cost to you***

My suitcase is heavy because I pack books

It's true. 

My suitcase is heavy because I packed a whole lot of books--possibly more books than clothes--for most trips. I'd rather pack books than clothes. I'd rather pack books than my toothbrush. 

For the record, I do bring clothes and a toothbrush! I'm not that silly...

But, aside from my son, my family, and my dogs and cat, books are my one true love. They always have been. I can't imagine a life without books or without reading. 

So, I bring books--actual books, not a Kindle or Nook or Fire or other tablet or e-reader--when I travel.

I like the weight of them.
I like the smell of them.
I like the sensation--the feel, the sound, the visual--of turning the pages.
I like it all.

And, frankly, even with advances in technology and improved reading surfaces, I still find it hard to read on an e-reader or tablet. My eyes get tired and I get bored. I find it harder to really enjoy e-readers in any way.

Does that mean I never use a device to read? No. In fact, I have Kindle on my phone and use Amazon Reading via Amazon Prime as well when an actual book is inconvenient or not allowed (like at work!).

So, as I sit here typing this from Buenos Aires, Argentina where I am currently traveling, I am also within arms reach of the 14 books I brought with me--you read that right! 14 books! I filled literally half of a suitcase just with books for this trip. And, I made sure to leave space to bring home any books I might purchase. Buenos Aires has some incredible book stores!

At the moment, I am actively reading all fourteen books that I brought with me, as well as a couple via Kindle.

I have never regretted traveling with books, even when it means my suitcase is unbearably heavy, off balance, or slowing me down.

My grandmother taught me the joy of reading early, along with my mom, and both encouraged me to read (almost) whenever the urge struck. I am so grateful for their influence!

Although I have started reading all of the books I brought with me, I am furthest along in:

• The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye by David Lagercrantz
• The Book of Joy by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Douglas Abrams
• Dare to Lead by Brene Brown

I'm enjoying all three thoroughly and was most surprised by The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye! I loved the first three books in the Lisbeth Salander series by Steig Larsson that I put off reading the first book by Langercrantz after Larsson passed away. I was afraid it wouldn't be the same--and I was right. There were too many inconsistencies and the story just didn't carry itself in the same way--you can read my review HERE. I then put off reading an Eye for an Eye because I didn't want to be disappointed again, but at the same time, I love the character of Lisbeth so much that I was curious and finally gave in and bought it an airport shop a few months ago. It languished on my shelf until a week ago when a friend saw it and commented on it. I started reading it, and it still isn't the same as the original three books, but it's a lot closer than Langercrantz's first attempt at the Lisbeth Salander story.

How about you? Do you take actual books with you when you travel or are you a fan of e-readers instead? Post a comment below!

Please note: Links may contain Bookshop.org Affiliate links.

Purchases made through these links are at no additional cost to you,

but may result in a small commission for me,

for which I am incredibly grateful. Thank you!

2018 Reading Round Up

I have been a TERRIBLE blogger and not a great reader in 2018. My last reading blog post was in February 2018 with this post. Sigh...

In 2018, I read 15 books. For me, that's almost nothing!

In 2017, I finished 23 books. Better, but also not my norm.

In 2016? 40 books! And, I know I missed a few on my log in 2016 too--that was the year I got serious about tracking my reading, but I also found out that my library didn't automatically keep an accessible history of your check outs! You had to request that they turn on tracking! So, there were several books that I meant to list, but forgot to write down or photograph and they weren't in my library history because I didn't know that I had to request that it be turned on.

So, back to 2018...

2018 was a stressful year on many fronts. The actual work of my job was great, but the management was terrible and grew rapidly worse over the course of the year to the point that many people quit, two people were hired and fired after turning out to be complete disasters, and a few others are planning to quit.

My job was so stressful that, combined with other stresses related to dealing with my uncle's estate and his debts, I simply didn't have the energy for much more than simply existing. I certainly couldn't focus on reading as much as I used to read. I couldn't focus on my Etsy shops. I couldn't focus on writing. 

I just simply could not focus.

As the year started to come to a close, I began to realize just how much I missed reading and creating and how off-kilter life was feeling as a result.

I became more intentional about setting aside time every morning to create. And, I became more intentional about setting aside time for reading in the evenings. 

Over the last couple of months of 2018, my morning routine was, as often as possible:

• wake up, stretch, use the bathroom
• feed the dogs, cat, and fish
• make coffee
• gather creative materials
• turn on YouTube
• craft while listening/watching

In the evenings, my routine was often:

• feed the dogs and cat, and turn off the aquarium light
• make coffee, tea, or hot chocolate
• run a super hot bath with lavender infused epsom salts
• stretch while the bath filled
• read while in the tub

These two routines made such a huge difference in my life! I felt calmer and more centered, even though things were still chaotic otherwise!

Going into 2019, well, a lot is changing! First and foremost...

I QUIT MY JOB! 

Thankfully, my uncle left me in a position where I could do so and go for quite some time without worrying about money (although I do worry about health insurance after my son and I both had health scares over the past few years). I'd rather have my uncle alive and in my life though....

I'm signed up for an EMT course that begins in January, and I'm looking forward to learning a new medically related skill set after years and years of secretarial and reception type work in healthcare (but also three years as a medical scribe which was insanely fun and inspiring, but doesn't pay enough to cover living expenses!). 

I'm also committed to taking my Etsy shops (links at the end of this post) up several notches and earning real money from them, as well as to earning an income from my several blogs. Plus, I'm committed to revamping my writing career--in the past I have been a ghostwriter and a blogger for others. Time for mama to write for mama! 

But....back to the whole point of this post: my 2018 reading list!

I like to keep track of my reading in an album on my personal Facebook page (no, I won't add you as a Facebook friend -- instead follow me on Instagram HERE). I rank each book on a 0-5 scale with 0 being the absolute worst drivel you could possibly put eyes to and 5 being a book I likely will read again or that I highly recommend you read because it was just so fantastic!

Here are the books I read in 2018:

5/5 -- You should definitely read these books:
Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward (Read my review HERE.)
Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum (Read my review HERE.)
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro
Tumble and Blue by Cassie Beasley (This is actually a book for middle grade schoolers, but I still loved it!)
Crafty Superstar by Grace Dobush (Non-fiction for crafters wanting to earn money from their handiwork)
Not Tonight Josephine by George Mahood (So freaking funny! A great look at my country--the USA--through the eyes of a Brit!)
Less by Andrew Sean Geer

4.5/5 -- Not quite as amazing, but you should still read these books, er, book:
The Whistler by John Grisham (Much better than the last few Grisham novels I've read!)

4/5 -- Still pretty darn good:
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (Not to be confused with Girl on a Train by A.J. Waines which I actually thought was better -- read my comparison HERE.)
Umami by Laia Jufresa
Pancakes in Paris by Craig Carlson (I got to visit Carlson's restaurant in Paris this past summer!)
Saturday Night Widows by Becky Aikman

Two photos from the real 

Breakfast in America from Pancakes in Paris:

3.5/5 -- A nice diversion, but not the best I've ever read. Think entertainment rather than brain nourishment:
The Strange Disappearance of a Bollywood Star by Vaseem Khan

2/5 -- Ugh! Why did I bother? 
The Crooked Staircase by Dean Koontz (This was actually great until the last chapter when it became obvious that you had to read the sequel to find out what happens. I don't like cliffhanger novels. Note: I don't link to books that I rate lower than a 3/5!)

What were the best and worst books you read in 2018? What are you looking forward to reading in 2019? Comment below!

Since I mentioned my Etsy shops above:

Marbles and Jam: A shop for coloring pages and stationery

(Please note: links may be affiliate links -- if you make a purchase after clicking my links, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you!)

Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum

*This post was initially written in 2018. I no longer use Amazon at all and all links from Amazon are being removed from this blog. Books are now linked to Bookshop.org, if you are interested in making purchases. The text of this post will also eventually be updated. -- 6/3/2025*

I'm not a big fan of reading via electronic devices, but I have significant down time at my job and am not allowed to have a regular book at my desk during work hours. One day, I was perusing Amazon, just goofing off, when I stumbled upon a cool perk that comes with Amazon Prime: Prime Reading!

Prime Reading is a cool bonus perk that comes with an Amazon Prime membership, allowing you free (outside of your Prime membership fees) online access to books, magazines, and other reading material. Most (maybe all?) are compatible with Amazon Kindle, although Prime Reading is NOT part of the Kindle Unlimited program. 

I've read a few books online through Prime Reading, and most recently finished Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum. Those Who Save Us is a fictional novel shifting between the modern, Midwestern United States and Nazi Germany. It also shifts between a mother and daughter's stories. 

Anna, the mother in this novel, is a young woman in Nazi Germany, living under the roof of her brutish, Nazi-sympathizer father. She begins an affair with a Jewish doctor whom she hides in her home -- practically right under her father's nose -- and by whom she becomes pregnant. Ultimately, Anna ends up seeking refuge for herself and her baby girl with a female baker who turns out to be baking bread for the Nazis while also smuggling messages out of concentration camps and work crews for the Jews. Eventually, Anna is pulled into an affair with a high ranking, but brutal Nazi officer -- an affair she continues in order to protect her child from starvation and other horrors of Nazi Germany. 

In the modern, Midwestern United States, Anna's daughter, Trudy, has many questions about her father and her mother's life before they found their way to the USA. Trudy knows nothing of the true identity of her father and knows very little about her own mother, even after moving her mother into a senior citizen's home and then into Trudy's own home. Together, the two lead quite separate and quiet existences under the same roof, even after Anna discovers and is upset by the nature of Trudy's research project as a college professor, interviewing former Nazi sympathizers (and the occasional Nazi victim). 

Ultimately, through Trudy's interviews, she learns to understand and appreciate her mother, even as her mother refuses to confirm the truth about Trudy's childhood and parentage.

Overall, Those Who Save Us is a poignant, well paced novel that is worth reading. It is both contemporary and historical fiction. I highly recommend it! 

What are you reading and enjoying right now?

Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward

Whoa!

If there is one book I want you to read this year, it is Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward. I was BLOWN AWAY by the lyricism of Ward's mastery over the English language combined with such an incredibly compelling story involving multiple generations, blurred lines between the living and the dead, and the interplay of race and privilege.

Sing, Unburied, Sing takes place in the modern South in the United States, specifically in rural Mississippi. It is a story covering multiple points of view--and is told from several points of view-- with overlapping and diverging concerns, goals, and experiences. The character at the heart of it all is young Jojo, a boy on the cusp of manhood, caught in that uncomfortable space of the early teen years where one often feels like a child while being expected to live up to adult-like expectations. Then, you have Jojo's little sister, three year old Kayla, their meth-addicted mother, Leonie, inmate father, Michael, and their grandparents. Woven throughout are two ghostly characters, Given and Ritchie, both of whom have passed away but whose souls are bound to earth.

Jojo, his sister, and their grandmother clearly are able to interact with the souls of the dead--those bound to earth--but in different ways and oblivious of each other's abilities. Leonie, as well, seems to possess this power, although she attributes her visions to drug-induced hallucinations.

Ward weaves multiple tales into one with an attention to detail that leads to well rounded characters, so real that I almost felt Kayla in my arms when reading from Jojo's point of view.

But, above it all, the real reason you need to read Sing, Unburied, Sing is purely for the love of language. Ward is a master. Her novel is poetic in ways that you must read to fully appreciate.

I just love this description of young Kayla speaking:

"'Hi,' Kayla says, drawing the word out so that it's two long syllables, her voice rolling up and down a hill. It's the same thing she says to her baby doll when she picks it up first thing in the morning..."

Or a description of the children's father:

"When he started getting skinny, I thought it was because of his nightmares. When his cheekbones started standing out on his face like rocks under water, I thought it was because he was stressed out over money. When his spine rose under his skin, a line of knuckles punching up his back, I thought it was because of his grief and the fact he couldn't find another welding job anywhere..."

You may realize from the two bits of text above that Sing, Unburied, Sing is not a particularly upbeat novel. When I was a teenager, my mom once told me that she won't read anything I recommend because I only like to read, as she described it, "depressing novels." I don't know that I would go that far, but Sing, Unburied, Sing is definitely heavy.

And, I loved it.

Have you read Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward? What did you think?

Haven't read it yet, but really want to? Buy it HERE on Bookshop.

This post contains affiliate links.

Book Comparison: The Girl on the Train vs Girl on a Train

In July 2016, I was perusing the stacks at my local library when a book caught my eye...

Whoa! How is the hottest book of the summer actually on the shelf? How does this not have a hold list a mile long? I couldn't believe my luck and snatched the book immediately! I took it home and started to read...I was totally drawn in and couldn't put the book down.

But...

It wasn't the book I thought it was!

I thought I had picked up The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. In reality, I had picked up Girl on a Train by A.J. Waines. Talk about similar titles! I assumed that the cover was different than what I'd seen all over social media because sometimes publishers put out more than one edition, changing the cover art from edition to edition. No big deal, right?

I'm not sure when I realized that Girl on a Train and The Girl on the Train were two different books, but as I read through the first one, I realized that I actually didn't care.

I LOVED Girl on a Train! I couldn't put it down and was annoyed when I had to stop reading to do those pesky tasks like going to work, sleeping, or taking care of my life. I was enthralled and couldn't get enough of the story. A.J. Waines put together a gripping mystery and thriller. At several points I thought I knew what was going to happen next only to be proven wrong. It was a page turner and I will definitely be reading more by Waines in the future!

Now, fast forward to this past month. I found myself stuck at the airport, my flight delayed, and nothing but boredom ahead. I hadn't brought a bunch of books or magazines or other distractions as I was taking a fast trip and wouldn't have much downtime. So, what does a girl do? She heads to the travel mart and picks up a few books, among them The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins.

I remembered what a huge hit The Girl on the Train had been and a few friends with similar reading tastes had greatly enjoyed it. Why not give it a read?

I wanted to love The Girl on the Train.
I wanted to put it down and exclaim, "That was totally worth it!"
I wanted to agree with my friends that this had been an amazing book purchase!

I couldn't do any of those three things.

In fairness, I did enjoy The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. I found the novel's style and storyline interesting. I would recommend it as an interesting read.

While Girl on a Train by A.J. Waines was a straightforward novel told from one point of view, The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins was told from alternating points of view, bouncing among three female characters and two timelines. Each character was well developed and thus it was pretty easy to keep track of who was narrating each section. Unfortunately, I didn't find The Girl on the Train as suspenseful as I had hoped it would be. Both are worth reading, but ultimately, The Girl on the Train was at least entertaining.

I originally rated Girl on a Train by A.J. Waines as a 5 out of 5 must read in THIS blog post. I'm giving The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins a 4 out of 5.

Have you read either? Both? What did you think?

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Thank you! Girl on a Train by A.J. Waines may be available on Amazon. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins is available on Bookshop HERE.