Review: A Land More Kind Than Home by Wiley Cash (Kindle Edition)

(No Spoilers Included)
A few months back I started seeing a lot of buzz about Wiley Cash from my other Southern Lit lovers. Surprisingly, I had not heard of this author until then, so I looked into his work and saw that  he had a new book, THIS DARK ROAD TO MERCY that hadn't been released yet, but his debut novel, A LAND MORE KIND THAN HOME was getting a lot of positive reviews, not to mention, it was the type of book I love to read..

The story takes place in the small North Carolina town of Marshall, in 1986 and is centered around three complex narrators who tell this story of family, faith and betrayal.. First, there's Adelaide, an elderly woman who has seen a lot in her 80-something years who has strong religious beliefs that she isn't afraid to stand up for. Then there's Jess, a nine-year old boy, living with his mother, father and older brother, Stump, who was born mute and has never spoken a word. The last narrator is Clem, the local sheriff, who knows loss first hand yet does his very best to serve the people of Marshall in a fair way, even though he doesn't agree with some of the ways of certain townspeople.

Jess and Stump's mother, Julie, had a very religious upbringing  and even though her husband, Ben, didn't share her conviction and dedication to the church, she attended services several times a week.  Neither Ben nor the boys ever accompanied her to the her church.  But one day after the boys saw something they weren't meant to see, Julie was convinced by a church elder to bring Stump to church with her for a healing. Jess was upset by this but felt he couldn't tell his mother the truth as to why he felt so strongly about it for fear of getting he and his brother in trouble and upsetting his parents.

Adelaide had stopped attending the church ten years prior after the shocking death of one of its parishioners during one of its unusual worship services led by Pastor Chambliss. She felt so strongly about what was going on behind those blacked-out windows that she  even moved the children's Sunday school classes outside the church. Abigail didn't agree with Pastor Chambliss' ways, nor did she trust him so she kept her distance. But when there's another death at the church, the trouble lands on her doorstep and she can't ignore the truth any longer.

As Sheriff, Clem always tries to keep the peace but the events that took place during that Sunday evening service, and the subsequent fallout, put him in the middle of a very volatile situation. He must find answers before more lives are lost but getting people to talk proves very difficult. To complicate matters, Clem comes face to face with a man he hasn't seen in years and who bring with him very painful memories from his own tragic past.

My Thoughts:

One thing I liked about his novel is the three very different perspectives each narrator brought. The young innocence of Jess, the wise voice of Adelaidel and the calm and quiet manner of Clem work together so beautifully, though I would have to say that Clem is my favorite narrator. He's such a likable and fair character and I couldn't help but feel drawn to him.

I'm sure most people can't imagine the kind of worshipping that went on in the church of this story, but the truth is, it is real and things like snake handling and healings do go on in southern churches even today. In fact, there was a news report just last week where a pastor was killed after being bitten by a snake during a service. I had just finished reading this book and even I was shocked by it. Though I have read several southern fiction books involving worshipping with snakes, they disturb me. That said, in my opinion, Wiley Cash did a great job bringing that element without letting it cloud the main plot line. The 1980's were an interesting time in our history, with a lot of changing going on and I enjoyed revisiting that time. I was completely absorbed and had difficult putting this one down. There was a lot of history being told by Abigail and Clem, which gave a clear understanding of where they came from and what kind of people they were. In fact, I felt there was as much background being given as was current storyline, but it didn't bother me at all because it was all very interesting and relevent to the story being told.

If anyone ever wonders why I love reading Southern Fiction so much, all they need to do is read this book and they will have their answer. Nowhere else, in my opinion, will you find deep-rooted stories of family, southern culture, past and present, and genuine characters as you find in books in this somewhat overlooked genre. Wiley Cash is my favorite 'new to me' author and I will be telling everyone I know about his work. I'm very much looking forward to reading Cash's new novel, THIS DARK ROAD TO MERCY, which will be released next week. I can't encourage you enough to give this writer a try - I promise you won't be disappointed.

A LAND MORE KIND THAN HOME (Kindle Edition)
Author: Wiley Cash (@WileyCash)
Website: www.wileycash.com
Publisher: William Morrow
Published: April 2012
Length: 325 pp
Recommend? YES! This will be on my list of favorite books for 2014

 

Review: Still Life (A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel) by Louise Penny

I came across this book while perusing Goodreads a few weeks ago. It seemed to be exactly the type of mystery I was looking for. I love mystery series and this one seemed a little different than the 'cozy' mysteries I've been reading, though I suppose, technically it still is classified as a 'cozy'.

In STILL LIFE, the first book of the series, veteran Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, with the Surete du Quebec, is called to a crime scene on Thanksgiving Day to the small village of Three Pines outside of Montreal where an elderly woman has been killed, possibly murdered, by an arrow through the heart. Gamache and his team quickly descend on the tight-knit community and begin their investigation. With it being hunting season, the suspect list starts out very broad, but as Gamache observes the residents and gets to know some of them, important clues come to light. On top of heading this disturbing investigation, he is also tasked with training a new recruit to his team, Agent Nichol. Though she first appeared bright and promising, she soon shows her immaturity and lack of respect to both the residents of Three Pines and to Gamache, himself.  For reasons that are beyond some, Gamache continues to try to help her learn not only how to be a good investigator, but also to learn something of herself as well.

My Thoughts:

I am so happy that I found this series! When I was on Goodreads, I noticed that several of my friends had read it and really enjoyed it and I wondered how I'd missed it. The characters, especially the chief inspector completely drew me in. Gamache has a fatherly sense to him that makes you instantly trust him to do what's right. What I also enjoyed was getting to know the different residents of Three Pines and their quirks. Some of them are likable right away, while others were not likable at all to me. But they were all so believable and they each added to the story.

Speaking of story - Louise Penny sure knows how to write a compelling tale. Let me be clear, this is not a fast-paced who-dun-it. It is a slower paced, methodical mystery that patiently weaves through time and character to create a suspenseful outcome. I also have to mention that I love the title of this first book, STILL LIFE. Before reading it I thought I knew what the title meant, but as I read on, other meanings began to develop in my mind.   A great title always gives me an added appreciation for the author and their work that was definitely the case here.

 I'd heard of Louise Penny before, but had never taken the time to look into her work. Now that I have, I am a big fan. For me, all other series are going to be put on the back burner for awhile until I read a few more of this wonderfully engaging series. I guess you could say I'm hooked. For lovers of mystery series, in my opinion, you can't go wrong with this series. If you hurry, you can pick it up for $2.99 at the Kindle Store!

STILL LIFE (Chief Inspector Gamache #1)
Author: Louise Penny
Publisher: September 2008
Published: Minotaur
Length: 321pp
Source: Purchased as Kindle Daily Deal

Review: Mandatory Release by Jess Riley

As a fan of Jess Riley's work, I was pleased when MANDATORY RELEASE came out so soon after her December 2012 release of  ALL THE LONELY PEOPLE, that I really enjoyed. I liked her cut-through-the-crap, tell-it-like-it-is characters in that book, so I was anxious to see what she was putting out there this time. Turns out, it was something old that she made new again. MANDATORY RELEASE is actually a novel she started years ago, then scrapped and now its been finished and released.

About the Book (from Goodreads)

Thirty-year-year-old Graham Finch spends his days trying to rehabilitate inmates and his nights trying to rehabilitate his heart - until a new coworker, his high school crush Drew Daniels, walks through the prison gates one hot summer morning.  Drew is on the run from a painful past that's nearly crushed her faith in love. Together, they might just have what it takes to mend their hearts.  If only their way to fining one another were easier than working with convicted felons.

My Thoughts: (No Spoilers Included)

This story is about two people trying to overcome circumstances that they find themselves in and not let it define them. Its told in alternating voices of Graham Finch, in the first person and Drew Daniels, told in the third person. The reader really gets to know where Graham is coming from and how he really feels about his life and the blows he's been dealt. I won't go into detail, but Graham's life is nothing like he'd planned. He finds himself in a completely different situation that could happen to anyone. He tries to maintain a 'normal' life and when Drew re-enters his life he would give anything to have a second chance with her but he's almost too afraid to let himself believe it could happen.

Drew has returned to her hometown to live with her parents in her old room after some devastating event has happened in her life, though we don't learn what that is until much later in the book. Little by little, clues are dropped and the guessing continues about what could have happened that up-ended her life so drastically.

Both Drew and Graham are very likeable characters, albeit a little broken and I quickly found myself rooting for them. This is not a complicated story - its just a story about forgiveness, inner strength and the power of love. What I took away from this book is that though life will sometimes deal you a bad hand, its how you overcome it that defines you, not the other way around. You can't lock yourself in a box and wear protective armor for the rest of your life. You have to put yourself out there or you'll never know what could happen.

The writing in this book is true Jess Riley. Its straightforward, and has just the right amount of dark humor. Its apparent that Drew has a great fondness for her Dad and his love of birds and I liked how Drew talked about that with Graham, knowing she was still learning life's lessons through those things. I also appreciate the title of the book and its many meanings. Its the perfect title. This book comes from a true place, as Ms. Riley used her own personal experiences working in a correctional facility in Wisconsin.as a basis for the book. It was very real and believable, as were the characters. I'm glad that Ms. Riley had the opportunity to go back and finish this book the way she wanted to because I think its a worthwhile read and I'm happy that I took the time to read it.  Oh, and if you hurry, you can pick this gem up for 2.99 at the Kindle Store!

MANDATORY RELEASE
Author: Jess Riley @jessrileywrites
Publisher:CreateSpace Independant Publishing Platform
Published: May 2013
Length: 310 pp
Recommend: Yes, definitely.

The Sunday Salon: Summer Break

Hello everyone! I took a short hiatus for a month or so but I'm anxious to get back to posting regularly again. I find I like to take a break during the long, hot summer days - it always makes me feel rejuvenated afterwards. I thought I'd ease back into things with a little catch up post.

Another reason I slacked off a bit is I was going through some changes with my eyes and adjusting to a little more loss of vision. Although its a gradual thing, its still jarring to notice the changes. Therefore, I'm becoming more and more dependant on my Paperwhite Kindle and less on actual books. My computer also has some issues so I wasn't able to download any audios for a time but I think I have that figured out. I'm looking forward to September for some great books!

Okay, so its no secret that I loved the Sookie Stackhouse mystery series and I was very disappointed when the series ended earlier this year. I like the quirkiness and well, the just plain fun of those books and I was wondering what I would replace it with. Well, wonder no more! Recently I stumbled across a fairly new series written by Barbra Annino called the Stacy Justice Mysteries. Its a paranormal cozy mystery series that is magical, entertaining, and laugh out loud funny! I'm reading the first book, OPAL FIRE now and I am really liking it. I do believe Stacy is my new Sookie! Not that Sookie can be replaced, mind you! I was very lucky to have gotten the first four books for 1.99 each as a Kindle Daily Deal recently. The last book just came out in July and they are quick reads so it'll be easy to get caught up.

With the film version of THE BOOK THIEF coming out I felt it was high time I finally got around to reading it! I've had the book for years but it kept getting pushed aside. Well, no more! Again, due to my deteriorating vision, I used one of my precious Audible credits and downloaded the audio version. I'm so excited to get started! The narrator, Allan Corduner is going to be AMAZING! Another great audio I'm looking forward to is CITY OF THIEVES that I also just downloaded. This one has been on my TBR list for awhile.

During my little break, I didn't stop reading all together. I did get some books read and I'll have several reviews that I'll be posting in the coming days. I hope you'll stop back by and check them out. I hope everyone has been enjoying their summer and spending time with some great books!