An Isolated Incident by Emily Maguire

An Isolated Incident by Emily Maguire

This book will forever hold a special place in my heart because it's the first ARC I was ever given to review!

This book is good. This book is very good. A murder mystery set in Australia, it's told through the voices of a newspaper reporter and the sister of the victim. The reporter was fine; her chapters were good but the voice that really pulled me in was Chris, the sister of the young woman who was murdered.

I loved reading from Chris's perspective. She's an imperfect person who really doesn't care that you know that about her right off the bat. She does morally questionable things, she doesn't mind using her physical assets to get more tips as a bartender, and she really doesn't care who knows how else she supplements her income. Her life is messy, but her childhood was messier, so she's a success. She's also devoted to protecting her younger sister when things get rocky in their childhood, which is why, when we meet Chris, she is overcome with grief, alternating between depression and rage. She couldn't protect her sister this time.

While I was reading this mystery I got the same feeling that I get when I watch an episode of Dateline. It's chilling, it's harrowing, and you can't look away. It was the perfect book to finish reading on Halloween night. I can't wait to read more by Emily Maguire! Special thanks to Net Galley for the opportunity!

Book Store Visit: Breakwater Books

I have a couple reviews in the pipeline but I wanted to share this first. :)

Yesterday at lunch I was perusing my Instagram (bookworm12378, in case you want to see what books I'm reading and how much I love my cats!) when I saw that Amy Bloom would be appearing at Breakwater Books in Guilford, CT. Amy Bloom is a Connecticut author whose latest book, White Houses, is now available in paperback. I love a good author appearance! It was such a gorgeous day that I went for a walk in Branford at a Land Trust property and then headed over to Breakwater.

Amy Bloom is a wonderful, engaging speaker. Something she said that I've never heard before was that she hates writing sex scenes so much that she actually types them with her eyes closed. She also read some selections from her book, which gives you some insight into Eleanor Roosevelt's relationship with Lorena Hickok, or "Hick," as Eleanor called her. I can't wait to read it. :) The woman next to me at the reading said that she's read everything Amy Bloom has written and she thinks this is her best book to date. High praise for sure.

Breakwater Books is located in the historic section of Guilford, CT. The New England Trail runs past it, and it's walking distance to the Long Island Sound. It faces the historic green and has a spot among a chocolate shop, an Italian restaurant, a pristine village market, and a coffee shop. It also has a Little Free Library right outside it. The store owner was eager to help me find a couple of books for Christmas gifts for family... and I may have picked up one for myself too. ;) Shhh...

A walk around Guilford's historic downtown is a great way to spend a fall afternoon. Get a coffee at Cilantro, get some chocolate at The Village Chocolatier, get a sandwich at The Marketplace, window shop in the gift shops and boutiques, and then blow your budget at the book store. That may or may not be what I did.

I found a book that I'd heard discussed on Roxanne Cody's podcast Just the Right Book (and owner of RJ Julia in Madison) that I thought my younger sister would love... but I wanted it too. I texted my sister and asked if she cared if I read it first and she said not at all. Which makes me wonder... how would you all feel if someone bought you a book as a gift but read it first? I've heard strong opinions on both sides! Personally, I wouldn't care. :)

Girl, Wash Your Face

Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

I was just lukewarm on this book. It’s been a huge seller but maybe I’m just not the audience for it. Rachel Hollis is a blogger, party planner, motivational speaker, influencer... She has a huge following. If you’re a fan of hers, you’ll enjoy this book. You’ll read a lot of stories about her own life, including very personal things. She uses her own successes and failures and flaws to illustrate her life rules. It is refreshing to see someone reveal their flaws in this world of Instagram perfection. 

However... here are the basic ideas of the book:

• You are responsible for your own life, and if you’re unhappy about any aspect of it, you need to change it. You can’t blame anyone else. Now, as someone who has seen family members struggle with health issues that they didn’t bring upon themselves, screw this. I know she would say, “Well, I didn’t mean cancer... but giving absolute rules like this means you really are applying it to everyone. Some people have life circumstances they just can’t change. They have to learn to live with them or live around them or sometimes they become too much to continue living with. I would rather refer people who are unhappy with their lives to the serenity prayer: God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Even if you’re not religious, it’s valuable to step back and decide what you can change and what you have to accept.
• Stop comparing yourself to others. Well, yes. Solid, but not original.
• Stop caring what people think of you. Luckily (?) I pretty much stopped caring about that in about 8th grade. Trust me, it’s nice to not care. Sometimes I think I should care a little more but then I realize that’s crazy talk. One of my favorite quotes is “what you think of me is none of my business.” I don’t care who thinks I’m smart and who doesn’t (unless I work for you), who thinks I’ve gained or lost weight, who thinks I read too much or spend a little too much time with my cats or in the woods or what anyone thinks of my boyfriend sometimes going on vacation without me... Seriously, I have a negative desire to know this.
• Make a vision board.
• Set goals and go after them.
• Be grateful for your blessings.
• YOU CAN DO IT!

So that’s it, in a nutshell. I should also add that she’s Christian and mentions it a lot. I’m not religious but it didn’t bother me or feel overbearing. Your mileage may vary. Buy it if you’re a fan of hers. Library it if you just want some motivation to get through your Monday.

The Day the World Came to Town

The Day the World Came to Town by Jim Defede.

On September 11, 2001, an unspeakable tragedy struck the United States. In all the confusion of the day, the US government closed its airspace in an attempt to thwart any additional planes that could have been targeting other American buildings and people. There were already planes in the air headed into the US, and many of those coming from Europe were diverted to the airport in Gander, Newfoundland, Canada.

At first I wasn't sure I wanted to read this book. I was living in New Jersey when the attacks happened and my dad was working in Washington DC. I know we all have stories about where we were that day. I was very lucky that I didn't lose anyone personally in the attacks; my dad was safe and sound, although it took time for him to be able to reach me and tell me that.

When I saw this book at the library we'd just passed the anniversary of the attacks and for some reason I was taking it kind of hard this year. It's emotional for me to visit the memorial site, to watch video of the buildings falling, to hear the tributes. But I checked this book out anyway. It fit a prompt for the Pop Sugar 2018 Reading Challenge for a book that was turned into a play; the award-winning musical Come From Away is based on this story. I'm sure they used many sources to write the play but for me this satisfied the prompt. It also won a Christopher Award, which is basically for feel-good books. I figured it was worth a try.

I loved this book. Hands down, I loved this book. It was hard for me to stop reading it to do things like, go to work, for example. The author couldn't possibly have profiled all 6,595 people who were diverted to Newfoundland or the 10,000 residents of Gander, but he chose a set of people as representatives and took the reader through what it was like to sit on those runways not knowing exactly what was happening in NewYork and why they were diverted, the hours and hours before some of the passengers had permission to de-plane, and the absolute outpouring of kindness from the residents of Gander. It did take me back to that tragic day and the week that followed, but from a different perspective. From the ugliest that people are capable of can come the kindness that we also know we can exhibit. The way the pharmacists sprang into action to deliver nictone gum to stranded passengers not allowed to smoke in their planes and refilling prescriptions from doctors around the world for the people who couldn't access their luggage was just one of the small things that made me think, "God, I wouldn't have thought of that..." A woman working in one of the shelters noticed that a Jewish family hadn't eaten anything in over 24 hours because none of it was kosher and made sure to get food that met their needs as well. What else do almost 6600 people who can't access their possessions need? Clothes, toothbrushes, bedding, transportation, food... Gander and the surrounding towns showed up with all of it, in abundance, asking for nothing in return.

For my birthday my boyfriend just ordered us tickets to Come From Away and I am so excited. The world is so full of sorrow, anger, and polarization right now that if we can just tune it all out for a few minutes or hours and realize that community is possible, it's a very welcome break.