October Wrap-Up

Back to a steady reading pace in October. :) Favorite books of the moth were Divergent and A House in the Sky. 

WWW Wednesday (70)

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

          

01. Currently Reading:
A House in the Sky: A Memoir by Amanda Lindhout and Sara Corbett. This memoir focuses around Amanda's love for traveling and her kidnapping as a photojournalist.

02. Recently Finished:
One Big Beautiful Thing by Marie Flanigan. Wonderful novel about facing your future after life has ruined your past.

03. Reading Next:
Dark Chatter by Andrew Branch. Never reviewed a book like this one. A novel that follows a college graduate as he finds himself accidentally working in the porn industry. This could be hilarious, or this could be terrible. We shall see.

One Big Beautiful Thing

Artist Kate Abernethy is trying to put her life back together after the death of her boyfriend. At first, moving back in with her mother seems like a good way to sort out her finances and re-evaluate her life-instead it proves to be a minefield of doubt and recrimination. Floundering, she pushes herself to take new opportunities so she can rebuild her life and have a second chance at happiness.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Marie Flanigan follows one woman's struggle to survive in her novel, One Big Beautiful Thing. Kate is in her mid-twenties who has experienced an overwhelming amount of grief. She's lived through an unplanned teenage pregnancy, a failed engagement, the judgment of being a tattooed artist, and the death of a man she loved. 

Kate's role as main character brings focus to this novel of chaos and strife. She's a blooming painter who dreams of moving on after the death of Robert, her first serious boyfriend after college. She's bright, inventive, creative, and full of life. Though, she has trouble facing her future. Kate often runs from confrontation, using avoidance as a key tactic in her survival. Readers will connect with her through understanding. Facing one's own future is difficult enough without the haunting of a rough past. Kate is an interesting character with definite flaws that make her more real for the reader. Through the arc of her evolution into a stronger woman, readers will be touched by her change in perspective. 

The plot of the novel is simply following Kate's progression after Robert's death. Yet, the book holds so much more than that. Readers don't only see a change in Kate, but also in her mother and the main love interest. The supporting cast aren't static characters, adding more depth to this novel and making it one of ample caliber. One Big Beautiful Thing is a book that lifts not only spirits, but hopes within the readers as well. 

Rating: 3.5/5 Cups

WWW Wednesday (69)

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

          

01. Currently Reading:
One Big Beautiful Thing by Marie Flanigan. A book about a woman whose significant other died in a drowning accident and how she struggles to move on with her life.

02. Recently Finished:
Ever Near by Melissa MacVicar. The opening novel in a series about a young teenager who can see ghosts and spirits.

03. Reading Next:
A House in the Sky by Amanda Lindhout and Sara Corbett. This book is a memoir that tells of a writer caught between countries.

Teaser Tuesday (82)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!




One Big Beautiful Thing (Kindle Loc. 127)
   - Marie Flanigan

It bothered her that her pulse picked up when she saw him. They were supposed to be coworkers and nothing more.