Book Love & Coffee Mugs

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Yep, five stars for two books in a row.  How is that possible?  Not sure.  But what it did convince me of was that I shouldn't feel bad about a DNF since there are so many amazing stories out there to read! "Tate's devotion eventually convinced her that human love is more than the bizarre mating competitions of the marsh creatures, but life also taught her that ancient genes for survival still persist in some undesirable forms among the twists and turns of man's genetic code." It was part mystery, part survival, part love story and part fierce independence that ends with a splash in the murky, marsh waters where Kya lived her whole life. Hard for me to pinpoint which parts  I loved the most as I treasured the whole story.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ WOW!  The first five star read of the year!  This one blew me away.  I grew to appreciate the culture, people, loyalty and food of the Palestinian people.  I was troubled by the abuse women suffer at the hands of men - their fathers, their husbands.  The grow up in a culture knowing they don't have choices, knowing they always cover parts of themselves.  Whether with cloth or with silence. The chapters were presented in three voices.  Mostly Ezra the mother and Deya the daughter, and occasionally the mother-in-law Frehda.  It began in Palestine and ended in Brooklyn.  Their home in America. The ending caused be the most confusion and consternation at first.  I finished and didn't know what to think.  Was the ended that had been spelling out earlier not be true.  How could this newly described ending be happening. And then realizing, it ain't over until it's over the ending I knew was true.  The last chapte...

⭐⭐⭐⭐ What a story ..and four star because five don't come that easily to me! Family drama, abandonment, love, loss and forgiveness fill this story that should not be remembered by the title.  Which was only the name of a blog written by an anonymous author.  This family grew apart and then in threads found a way back.  But like any cloth that's been severed, it was never the same strength, feel or look than the original.  Or was the original never that strong.

⭐⭐⭐ Audio book. I thoroughly enjoyed Eight Hundred Grapes by Laura Dave.  When I moved on the First Husband I thought, 'meh.'  And when I read Hello, Sunshine I was glad I found it on audio as it made for an entertaining listen.  Abeit light, it did entertain.  Loved the picturesque setting in the Hamptons and the summer lifestyle with hints of New York City.  Two books in a row for me where someone else's child had a profound impact on the protagonist.  Story of love, forgiveness, regret, friendship and acceptance. light as air, bright as sunshine!

⭐⭐⭐ 1/2 As the second book in the trilogy that began with Me Before You, After You finds us following Louisa to the place Moyes left us.  In Paris.  In the cafe Will asked her to find in his final letter to her. She's struggling a year and a half later still dealing with the loss of him.  Not just the loss of him, but the way in which he died and her part in the end. This story takes her on a different kind of journey.  She searches for herself.  She is not looking for the self before Will, she is searching for who she is and how to find peace with that new version.  Her journey is one filled with adventure, new characters, great learning and self-love.  She discovers parts of herself she didn't realize she possessed.  And she surprises herself. I enjoyed this book.  Three and half stars because although I enjoyed it, the story didn't blow me away.  Light but entertaining!