Becoming Mrs Lewis By Patty Calahan

 My Rating: 4.4

Joy met C.S. Lewis through letters before eventually traveling to Europe to meet in person.

First - what I enjoyed. I enjoyed piecing together how C.S. Lewis went from writing the Narnia series to writing Christian apologetic books. I found the story of how Joy met C.S. Lewis and how their friendship flourished interesting. What I didn't enjoy was the characters - both Joy and her husband were very dysfunctional people. I found it very uncomfortable to read how a woman could leave her husband and her two children for so long and be astounded that her marriage had dissolved (not to mention the untold damage to her children). She should have stayed or divorced before she left. I found nothing in this book to be 'romantic' as the cover tries to convey. Joy felt very manipulative. The author's style was very laborious in trying to get us to feel for "poor Joy" and it only felt like she was having to excuse how poor Joy's choices were.

The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

My Rating: 4.7

Jane is a dog walker in the McMansion/Stepford wife neighborhood in Alabama, until she meets recently widowed Eddie. His ex-wife and her best friend drowned and Jane sees this as her opportunity.  

This is a fast paced thriller. I loved that everyone in it had a motive and there wasn't the token "innocent/nice" person. Everyone was angling for something and that kept me on my toes. A fun page turner. 

Love & Ruin by Paula McLean

My Rating: 4.8

In 1937 Martha Gellhorn travels to Spain alone to be a war correspondent. She writes as frantically as she can so she doesn't forget a single detail in the articles to be published by Colliers. She ends up falling in love with the up and coming Ernest Hemingway. 

McLean does a phenomenal job of bringing both Gellhorn and the war to life with graphic beauty. As per other books I have read, Hemingway is not a likeable person. Thankfully, this book is mainly focused on Martha Gellhorn and not Hemingway. Martha had an incredible life and this has beautiful writing that captures to much. This makes me want to read Martha Gellhorn's actual writings of her war coverage. 

We Being At The End by Chris Whitaker

My Rating: 5.0

Four kids - Star, Sissy, Walker (Walk) & Vincent - grow up together. 

Fast forward to Walk being Chief of Police, Vincent about to be released from prison and Star having two children....13 year old Duchess has had a rough life as she tries to protect her little brother Robin from their drunk mother. Star loves them both deeply but will not win any mother of the year awards.

This book was so powerfully written - the story, the character and the words. It is sad, haunting and absolutely beautiful. 

Faith's Checkbook by Charles H. Spurgeon

 My Rating: 4.8

God's bank account can't be overdrawn. This spiritual checkbook shows you that you only need faith and God will see you through every circumstance.

This daily devotional is not light and fluffy nor overly heavy but somewhere in between. It leaves me with something that I can marinate on and continues to remind me of God's amazing promises that we can rely on. Click on the book link above and see if the kindle version is still free like it was when I got my copy as it is worth having.

One By One by Ruth Ware

 My Rating: 4.6

An off-site company retreat meant to promote mindfulness and collaboration goes utterly wrong when an avalanche hits, survival trumps togetherness. Come Monday morning, how many members short will the team be?

This is a typical light thriller novel. I don't think that Ruth Ware is the best of the thriller writers but, listening to this on audio helped to make this enjoyable. I enjoyed the premise of the company Snoop and the setting. 

Intimacies by Katie Kitamura

My Rating: 4.7

An interpreter has come to The Hague to escape New York and work at the International Court. A woman of many languages and identities, she is looking for a place to finally call home.

This is a tough one to review. The writing was beautiful and rich. Kitamura captures everything so well - life in The Hague, the intricacies of being a translator in the Court and the complexities of the friendships but, very little happens. This is neither character driven nor plot driven. It unfolds in a quiet, lyrical way. I enjoyed it a lot but realize that this book won't be for everyone.