July was a tough month for me. I couldn’t focus enough to read. It happens sometimes. I was only able to finish one very short book and one average book. I decided to not post a July blog and combine it with August.
The Photographic Story by David duChemin
Summary:
A short read that breaks down photographs to help you tell a better story. Each chapter covers an element of storytelling, provides examples, and gives creative exercises to do on your own.
My Thoughts:
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
As always, David duChemin breaks everything down well. My only complaint is it is too short! I would tell photographers to read this and check out his other work.
Embrace Your Weird by Felicia Day
Summary:
If you want to be more creative, grab a pen (or whatever instrument) and destroy this book! Ok, don’t do that if it’s a library copy. Embrace Your Weird is designed to help you unlock your creativity through personal stories and activities.
My Thoughts:
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
This is definitely a book I would have rather purchased the actual book. I checked it out from the library on Kindle and it was hard to do the exercises. I eventually gave up and just read. I gave four stars instead of five because as with any of these books it is nothing new. Felicia Day presents and writes well. I enjoyed the writing and her personal stories. I also liked the presentation. I would recommend and want to read her other book.
Regretting You by Colleen Hoover
Summary:
Death sometimes brings secrets to the surface for those left behind to deal with. Morgan and her daughter Clara find this out when Chris, Morgan’s husband, dies unexpectedly in a car crash which also killed Morgan’s sister Jenny.
My Thoughts:
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
The story propelled me to keep reading. I figured out the twist very early on but wanted to see how it worked out. Clara was incredibly unlikeable until the end. I wanted to shake Morgan and tell her to just be honest. I kept internally screaming at both characters to just sit down and talk to each other instead of making assumptions. I thought it was well-written and an interesting twist on a standard plot device. I would recommend and read other books by Colleen Hoover.
A Wicked Snow by Gregg Olsen
Summary:
A young girl’s family dies in a fire. The investigations discover several bodies buried on the land and people start to wonder if there’s a serial killer on the loose. Years later she receives a package containing evidence from the investigation. Is the serial killer still out there and out to finish what they started?
My Thoughts:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
A Wicked Snow was almost 500 pages long. I zoomed through it. I kept forming ideas of what happened and wanted to see if I was right. The writing was excellent and kept me hooked. It was not quite as gruesome as his book Victim Six but does contain mention of violence and child death. If you like serial killer fiction, disappearances, or other thriller topics, this might be a book for you!
The Tourist Attraction by Sarah Morgenthaler
Summary:
Grumpy, Alaskan native Graham hates tourists until Zoey walks into his restaurant.
My Thoughts:
⭐⭐/5
I wanted to like this book. I liked the plot, even if it was a romcom troupe. I wanted to like the main characters, Graham and Zoey. But the author just made them so unlikeable. They each had these moments that seemed so outside their character that made them do dumb things.
The writing was hit or miss. I wanted to keep reading but parts of the book just dragged. It’s listed as 418 pages and I’m pretty sure the author could have finished in half that. The author also went on describing how hot, attractive, etc that got old real fast. Just cutting those out would have shortened the book drastically. Lastly, Graham also used the word darlin’ way too much. I almost started to think the story was in Texas instead of Alaska.
I would not recommend this book.
The Winemaker’s Secret by Cynthia Ellingson
Summary:
Abby wants to run her family winery but her grandfather doesn’t think she can do it. When the family’s ice wine collection is stolen and her grandfather is in the hospital she is determined to find out what happened all while running the winery.
My Thoughts:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
The Starlight Cove books are all easy to read, cozy mysteries. Each woman has to solve a family puzzle while trying not to fall in love. If you like a cozy mystery, you’d like the three book series. Also, you do not need to read in order.
The Moonlight Child by Karem McQuestion
Summary:
Late one winter night while looking at the moon Sharon notices a small child washing dishes at her neighbor’s house. She knows her neighbors don’t have a young child, so who was this midnight dishwasher?
My Thoughts:
⭐⭐⭐/5
The idea of the book is good but the execution is slow. The author jumps around between characters and *spoiler alert* time periods. I had a feeling it was switching time but it wasn’t obvious until about ¾ in. I also had an idea of what the plot was early on. Overall, the book wasn’t horrible but it didn’t pull me in. It’s a meh from me.
