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Showing posts with label Julie Kibler. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Julie Kibler. Show all posts
Friday, July 26, 2019
Sophomore Novel Not As Dynamic or Engaging As Debut
1:00 AM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
There's not a lot of hope on the grim streets of Arlington, Texas, for the women society has cast away. Addicts, prostitutes, unwed mothers, and others of their ilk have nowhere to go for protection or to get a hand up—at least not without selling their bodies and souls in exchange.
When Mattie B. Corder, a penniless single mom with a sick toddler, hears about the Berachah Industrial Home for the Redemption of Erring Girls, it seems like a trick. Could there really be a refuge for women like her, a cost-free place that would shelter her and help her learn a trade, all while allowing her to keep her child? When Mattie makes her way there, she's shocked to discover the home is exactly what it says it is. Which isn't to say it's paradise. Still, there she finds friendship, a purpose, and hope for her future. As she gets to know Lizzie Bates, a former heroin addict and prostitute, the two women form an unbreakable bond that will see them through the tough times ahead.
Over 100 years later, librarian Cate Sutton stumbles across a mysterious cemetery. When she learns that the graveyard contains the bones of former residents of a home for troubled women, her curiosity is piqued. Inexplicably drawn to the place and its fascinating history, Cate becomes obsessed with finding out more. Doing so may just help her come to terms with her own rocky past and find redemption, just like the Berachah women of so long ago.
Since Julie Kibler's debut novel, Calling Me Home, was one of my favorite reads of 2013, I jumped for joy when I heard the author would finally be publishing a second book. The premise behind Home for Erring and Outcast Girls (available July 30, 2019) sounded appealing, so I eagerly downloaded an ARC from NetGalley. Unfortunately, Kibler's sophomore attempt didn't enthrall me quite like her first book did. While I appreciated the new novel's themes of kindness, compassion, second chances, and sisterhood, the story dragged for me. It's lengthy, meandering, and peppered with prose that just isn't very dynamic. The characters are sympathetic, but not fleshed out well enough to feel real. In the end, then, I had a hard time getting through Home for Erring and Outcast Girls. I wanted to love it, especially since I adored Kibler's debut so much; overall, though, this was just an okay read for me. Bummer.
(Readalikes: Hm, I can't think of anything. Can you?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language (no F-bombs), violence, and disturbing subject matter
To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC of Home for Erring and Outcast Girls from the generous folks at Crown (a division of Penguin Random House) via those at NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
Tuesday, January 29, 2019
Top Ten Tuesday: My Latest and Greatest
1:00 AM
It's Tuesday and you know what that means—it's time for another edition of Top Ten Tuesday, my favorite bookish meme. If you want to join in the fun (and you really do), click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl, read a few instructions, make your own list, then spend some happy hours hopping around the book blogosphere. It's a great way to spread some love in our community, discover new blogs, and, of course, get more recommendations for your TBR
This week's topic is Top Ten Most Recent Additions to My TBR List. Since I add books constantly to my TBR list on Goodreads, I can't remember which titles are the literal last ten I added. So, I'm just going to talk about ten I've added recently that I'm really excited about. Sound good? Here we go:
Top Ten Most Recent Additions to My TBR List:
1. The Personal History of Rachel DuPree by Ann Weisgarber—I'm in the middle of Weisgarber's newest historical novel, The Glovemaker (available February 5, 2019), which I'm enjoying. Weisbarger's written a couple of other books, but this is the one I most want to read. It's about a black family trying to survive on South Dakota's drought-dry plains in 1917.
2. The Night Visitors by Carol Goodman—I'm a big fan of Goodman's Gothic thrillers and her newest sounds like another intriguing read. It concerns an abused woman and her son who are stranded in the middle of a snowstorm in New York. A stranger takes them in for the night. As the blizzard worsens outside, shocking secrets are being revealed inside ...
3. The Hidden by Mary Chamberlain (available February 7, 2019)—I can't resist a dual-timeline novel that features WWII, so I'm drawn to this one about a young German woman trying to find a mysterious woman who appears in an old photograph of her mother's.
4. Home for Erring and Outcast Girls by Julie Kibler (available July 30, 2019)—I loved Kibler's 2012 debut, Calling Me Home, and I've been waiting anxiously for her to publish something else. This one, her sophomore novel, is a dual-timeline novel about a woman in the present who's seeking to uncover the history of a home that once offered "ruined" girls hope and help.
5. The Orphan of Salt Winds by Elizabeth Brooks—A newly-adopted orphan arrives at her mysterious new home on the edge of a marsh. She soon discovers that her adoptive parents have a house full of secrets and lies. While trying to make sense of her new world, her life is rocked again when a German airman crashes in the marsh. What happens next will haunt her for the rest of her life. Sounds good, no?
6. The Bridge Home by Padma Venkatraman (available February 5, 2019)—This middle grade novel is about a group of children trying to survive on the streets of India. Sounds heartbreaking, but intriguing.
7. The Unsung Hero of Birdsong, USA by Brenda Woods—Another middle grade novel, this one revolves around a young boy who's saved from a car accident by a black WWII veteran. As a thank you, the boy gets his rescuer a job at his dad's auto shop. This is the Jim Crow South, however, so there's tension, even as the boy discovers just how much of a hero the vet really is.
8. Where Dandelions Bloom by Tara Johnson (available July 1, 2019)—I'm fascinated by true stories of women who disguised themselves as men in order to serve in the Civil War. This novel is about a young woman looking for a way to escape an abusive home and finding herself—and true love—on the battlefield.
9. The Woman in the White Kimono by Ana Johns (available May 28, 2019)—Another dual-timeline novel (my favorite!), this one concerns a Japanese woman who is cast out when her traditional family discovers that she's pregnant with the child of an American sailor.
10. Apple of My Eye by Claire Allan—This psychological thriller about a pregnant woman who's receiving threatening notes that call into question her husband's loyalty and her own ability to be a mother, sounds intriguing.
So, there you have it, ten of the most recent additions to my TBR mountain chain. What do you think of my selections? Have you read any of these? What titles have you added to your TBR list lately? I'm truly interested to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.
Happy TTT!
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
TTT: 'Cause There's Just Somethin' About the South, Y'all
5:58 AM
The lovely ladies over at The Broke and the Bookish choose a new list-y topic every week. This week's is: Top Ten Favorite Books With X Setting (i.e., futuristic world, school setting, during World War II, set in California, etc.). I really had to wrack my brain for this one. I was trying to think of something really unique so I could talk about books I hadn't highlighted before, but, in the end, I came up with this not-so-original-but-still-fun list ...
Top Ten Favorite Books Set in the American South
1. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell—This one's pretty much a no-brainer. I loved the book the first time I read it, but it enchanted me even more after I'd visited Atlanta. Touring the Margaret Mitchell House museum was one of my favorite parts of the trip.
2. The Help by Kathryn Stockett—I know this one's gotten some flack for various reasons, but I really enjoyed it, both in book and movie form.
3. Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts—Another story (this one's about a pregnant teenager in Oklahoma, who's trying to rebuild her life after being abandoned by her boyfriend) that charmed me as a book and as a movie.
4. Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler—As heartbreaking as this story about a young white girl in 1940s Kentucky who falls in love with a black man is, it really spoke to me. A word of advice: keep the Kleenex handy.
5. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee—Another no-brainer. It's a classic for a reason, y'all.
6. The Temperance Brennan novels by Kathy Reichs—I talk quite a bit about this series, which features a forensic anthropologist who solves murders both in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Toronto, Canada.
7. Circle of Secrets by Kimberley Griffiths Little—Kimberley (she's my IRL friend, so I can use her first name—we're friendly like that) has written several interconnecting, middle grade novels that take place "deep in the heart" of the Lousiana bayou. I'm not sure which book is my favorite, but I love both Circle of Secrets and The Healing Spell.
8. Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys—Another atmospheric novel set in New Orleans. This one's teeming with colorful characters, vivid scenery and mystery. It's a rich, absorbing read that kept me riveted from its first word to its last.
9. The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom—Although this novel's absolutely heart-wrenching, it's also absorbing and affecting.
10. Tomorrow River by Lesley Kagen—I love this author and Tomorrow River, a Southern novel about family and friendship, is one of my favorites.
How about you? What's your favorite Southern novel? I know there are tons I haven't read yet—which would you recommend?
Monday, June 03, 2013
It Made Me Laugh, It Made Me Think, It Made Me Curse, It Made Me Cry ...
1:53 PM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Isabelle McAllister and Dorrie Curtis aren't family, nor are they exactly bosom buddies. But, when the 89-year-old widow finds herself in need of a favor—a very big favor—Dorrie's the only person she can think of to ask. Despite their differences, the two women have grown close over the years and yet, there's plenty they don't know about each other. Isabelle's not sure she's ready to spill all her secrets; still, she knows she can't do what she needs to do without Dorrie by her side.
Dorrie's grown fond of Isabelle during the years she's been styling the old woman's hair. Still, Dorrie's dumbfounded by her client's strange request. She knows Isabelle's too elderly to drive herself from their home in Texas all the way to Cincinatti. She also knows she'd do anything for Miss Isabelle, even if the woman won't divulge the reason for the trip. What Dorrie doesn't know is why Isabelle chose her for this task, or what awaits them in Ohio. Truth is, it doesn't matter. Dorrie could use a little vacay—all that time on the road will give her time to ponder her own troubles, while learning more about the enigmatic Isabelle McAllister.
The women make a strange pair—Isabelle's an elderly white widow, Dorrie's a black, single mom in her 30s. But, as the pair drive across the country, they discover they have more in common than not. And, as Dorrie hears the story of Isabelle's forbidden romance with the son of her family's black housekeeper during the early 1940s in a Kentucky town African-Americans weren't even allowed to step foot in after dark, she realizes that a little of Isabelle's courage might be just the thing she needs to conquer her own fears.
One glance at the cover of Calling Me Home, a debut novel by Julie Kibler, is all it took to convince me I needed to read this book. The plot summary just intrigued me more. It was the author's bio, though, that really sealed the deal. Why? Because, it explains that Isabelle's story grew out of a bit of Kibler family lore. How irresistible is that? Very. Even better, Calling Me Home lives up to its gorgeous cover and beguiling premise. It's warm, tender, vibrant, heart-breaking—everything a great story should be. Some of the plot "surprises" weren't all that surprising but still, this novel made me laugh, made me think, made me curse, made me cry. I loved it.
(Readalikes: Reminds me a little of The Help by Kathryn Stockett and Jericho Walls by Kristi Collier)
Grade: A-
If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG-13 for language (no F-bombs), racial epithets, violence, and mild sexual content
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
TTT: And They Call It "Tough-y" Love ... (Hee Hee)
1:00 AM
It's Tuesday, which means it's time for more bookish list-compiling. Love it! Before we get to this week's topic, though, let me give a shout out to our lovely hosts over at The Broke and the Bookish. Be sure to click on over there to get all the details about this fun meme. If you haven't joined up, do it now! It's a good ole time, I promise.
So, today's topic is: Top Ten Books Dealing With Tough Subjects. "Tough" is defined as issue-y type things (suicide, grief, abuse, etc.). Since conflict is an essential ingredient in every story, most books deal with "tough" things. These ten, though, are the ones that popped into my mind when I read the prompt:
1. The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams—If you've ever been asked how many wives your dad has (and if you're Mormon, you probably have), you know what an uncomfortable subject polygamy can be! Still, it's a fascinating topic. In this novel, Williams explores it in a forthright, but sensitive way. The Chosen One is such a haunting tale that I still get the shivers just from glimpsing its cover!
2. The Fault In Our Stars by John Green—What can I say about this one? It's about kids with cancer. It's sad, yes, but also irreverent, funny and touching.
3. Unwind by Neal Shusterman—I love Shusterman because he's such a master at examining tough issues in new and interesting ways. Unwind is a discomfiting story about what would happen if parents could "unwind" (basically, retroactively abort) their teenage children. Lots of people pooh-pooh this book because it's too far-fetched—the way I see it, it's not meant to be "realistic," but symbolic. To me, it's a very illumination examination of the divisive issue of abortion. Not to mention an original, fast-paced action/adventure story.
5. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand—War stories are always difficult to read. Especially those that detail the abuses suffered by innocent people at the hands of the "enemy." Unbroken is no different. It's a difficult read, but an incredible true story of one American soldier's battle to survive.
6. Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum—Another WWII story. This one's a little bit different, as it's the (fictional) story of a non-Jewish German civilian's experience during the war. It's heart-wrenching, but totally absorbing.
7. After Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick—Like The Fault in Our Stars, this is another novel about kids with cancer. And yet, it's funny, real and unique. I wasn't wild about the ending of After Ever After, but I did enjoy the rest of the book. P.S.: I found out after reading this one that it's actually a sequel to Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie, which I probably should have read first. Oops.
8. The Space Between Us by Jessica Martinez—Although the ending of this one didn't quite satisfy me, I enjoyed the novel quite a bit. It's the story of a teenage preacher's daughter who's struggling to deal with the pregnancy of her needy younger sister. Genuine and real, this one touched me for lots of reasons.
9. How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr—Another teenage pregnancy book, this novel spoke straight to my (very) tender adoptive mother's heart. It's a beautiful, authentic story about the true meaning of family.
10. Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick—What's a tougher issue than cancer? How about zombies? Or, heck, why not do both? In Bick's apocalyptic zombie fest, the heroine is hiking out to her favorite spot in the mountains to end her own life before cancer does it for her. Then, the world ends, giving her a startling epiphany: She doesn't want to die after all. Ashes is an exciting zombie-licious page-turner that kept me reading fast and furious to see what would happen next.
So, what do you think of my choices? Have you read any of them? Which "tough issue" books do you recommend?
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