February really got away from me! In my defense, it's a short month and I always easily lose track of the days. But this year, I felt like I went to bed on the first and woke up on the twenty-eighth! Amidst my time warp, I was able to read three books this month, one of which has been on my TBR pile for a few years now. Let's begin."Descent"- Tim Johnston
A family vacation for the Courtlands turns tragic when eighteen-year-old daughter, Caitlin, is abducted and brother, Sean, is severely injured on a Rocky Mountain hike. The trip was the final hurrah before Caitlin started college in the fall. With a marriage already on the rocks, Caitlin moving away, and Sean struggling to connect with his parents, a morning run between siblings seemed like an excellent way to start the trip. Little did they know how things could go devastatingly wrong.
A mash-up tale told by varying family members and Caitlin, we get weaved into the story a few years later as everyone is struggling to survive. How long do you keep looking? How long do you hold out hope? How long do you wait for someone to rescue you? This page-turner will keep you up into all hours of the night. Though I was a little disappointed by the ending, the book delivered. You won't want to stop until you've read every last word.
"If I'm Found"- Terri Blackstock
This is the second book in the If I Run series, read the review for book one here. With Casey still being hunted by Dylan, a private investigator, and corrupt cops who caused the death of her father, she wonders how much longer she can really hide. As Casey desperately tries to stay hidden, Dylan begins to realize that she might be innocent. With Dylan firmly on her side, will she be able to put these corrupt cops behind bars where they belong? Or will she be discovered before they can compile enough evidence against them?In the first book, we get a good standing on who Casey is and left intrigued by the cliffhanger ending. This book follows the same pattern, Casey running, spotting an injustice, getting involved in something that has nothing to do with her and potentially exposing herself to the authorities for the sake of a strangers well-being. I feel like this book is the classic second book and falls into the trilogy stereotype of being a filler book. There wasn't too much happening here. It felt like a duplicate of the first book, with not much extra business happening. Though the book fell a little flat for me, I'm hoping the final book in the installment will deliver.
"Eat, Pray, Love"- Elizabeth Gilbert
This book has been on my TBR list for years now, but the reviews were split 50/50 which always made me hesitant to read it. Either you loved it, or you hated it. There didn't seem to be many readers who fell in the middle with it. And since I tend to see the negatives more than the positives, I was afraid I wouldn't care for it. Turns out, I was right. I didn't love this book.We follow Gilbert through a messy divorce, followed by a heartbreaking relationship where she officially finds herself at rock bottom. She doesn't know what to do, but she knows she can't continue down the path she's on. Armed with her passport, a book deal, and hope she plans a year-long trip away from her friends and family. In Italy, she decides to focus on the pleasures in life. Eating, drinking, speaking her favorite language, and learning to slow down and enjoy life. In India, she learns to meditate, seek solace within, and forgive herself. In Bali, she finds love.
Made into a major motion picture (starring Julia Roberts) I feel like most people know this story by now. Everyone has found themselves at rock bottom at some point in their life. That part was very relatable. The rest of it was hard for me to get on board with. I understand the desire to get away and the need to heal yourself to move forward with your life. You must first put the oxygen mask on yourself before the person next to you. But, it all seemed very convenient and repetitive. Because she had this specific career, she was able to walk away from her job (and still get paid!) to wander around the world searching for herself. How nice. Repetitively reliving her marriage and divorce got old very fast, as did her continued obsession with her ex-boyfriend. This book was meant to be a spiritual journey meant to inspire others to live your life on your own terms. I'm totally down with that message. I just don't know that I needed to read it from Gilbert's point of view. As I said, I fall with the fifty percent who didn't love it, but I know tons of people who do. Maybe you will too.
I hope you all read some excellent books in February. I've already got some books going for March that I'm very excited about. Do you have any suggestions for me? I'd love to know what you're reading or your favorite genres. I hope everyone has a wonderful, and safe, Spring Break!
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