Review: Back Creek by Leslie Goetsch

The summer of '75 brought a lot of changes to eighteen-year-old Grace Barnett's small-town life. Never really feeling like a part of the group around kids her own age, she felt more content at home on the Creek with her beloved books. Her older sister, Lillian, was the popular and outgoing one, but she's been gone for five years after having a blow-up with their father that no one really talks about.

Early in the summer of '75, Grace was the only witness when a boater fatally crashed into a neighboring dock on the Creek. Everyone, including the investigators, assumed it was an accident, but Grace couldn't shake the feeling that they were wrong. That day started a chain of events that would affect Grace forever. Days later, without so much as a word, her mother left on another of her mysterious trips, but this time it felt more permanent and Grace was left feeling that the responsibility of her family was on her shoulders. To complicate matters, her sister suddenly reappears, obviously with her own troubles, but is unwilling to open up about it. Grace is left to try to mend the rift between her withdrawn father, who is drinking too much, and her sister.

The whole time Grace is walking on eggshells around her family, she is also toying with new feelings and emotions that all girls her age eventually experience. Her closest friend is Cal, a Vietnam War vet that lives on a boat on the other side of the Creek who is rumored to be a little 'different' ever since returning home from the war. Grace's growing feelings for Cal begin to take her over and lead her to places she's never been.

But the most difficult thing Grace is dealing with is her mother's strange behavior and the feeling that she's never coming back - at least not for good. Grace decides to go to her mother's family home in North Carolina to get some answers from her mother and hopefully bring her home.

My thoughts:

The premise of BACK CREEK, the Virginia locale and the character of Grace is what initially drew me to this coming of age story. I also liked the year in which it took place. I grew up in the 70's and it was a special time - when you weren't afraid to leave your doors unlocked and life wasn't so complicated - at least it didn't seem like it was. I don't read a lot of Young Adult novels but this is one I didn't want to pass up.

The beautiful, sometimes lyrical phrasing made the book an easy, enjoyable read. The words flowed easily and the pages turned almost by themselves. I really enjoyed Leslie Goetsch's writing in this debut novel very much.

That being said, I will admit to feeling a bit let down with the outcome. That's not to say I didn't like it, I was just expecting a little more. The build-up was there and I was ready for something that I felt didn't quite make it. I feel that perhaps the point the author was ultimately trying to make may have been done with too much subtlety. On the other hand, I liked all of the characters - they were both believable and likable. Back Creek itself was a major character and through Goetsch's words, became a very real place that I could quickly and easily picture in my mind.

In a nutshell, I enjoyed the book very much and would definitely recommend it, especially to younger readers because I do think it carries a good message. Leslie Goetsch is an author that I wouldn't hesitate reading again.

BACK CREEK

Author: Leslie Goetsch

Genre: Young Adult

Publisher: Bancroft Press

Published: February 2008

Pages: 240

Grade: B-

It's My Blogoversary!!

It is hard to believe its been 3 years today that I started this book blog. Although when I began I don't think I knew what kind of blog it was going to be. I honestly didn't think anybody would really read my blog. I just thought it would be a fun place to express my thoughts. Then I discovered book blogs . . . and the rest is history!

Over these last three years, I have met and become friends with some amazing people. I am so grateful for those relationships. And through the wonderful array of books I've read, I know that I've also grown as a person. I can't imagine why anyone would not want to be a reader! To me, its a never-ending learning experience. My non-reader friends ask me sometimes how I know about certain topics or even little useless facts and my answer is simple: I'M A READER. it's amazing what you can learn if you only allow yourself to be opened up by a book. I've always been interested in geography and when I read certain books that take place in faraway places, I get out my atlas and I find it on the map and I learn about that area. To me, that is part of the enjoyment of reading.

Even though I've lost some of my sight and the freedom to drive or to venture out on my own, it isn't keeping me from learning about the world around me. Recently, I looked at the stats on my blog and I was excited to see that I had visitors from such faraway places as South Korea, Russia, Ukraine, Sweden and India to name a few. That gives me such a sense of joy that my little 'ole blog is reaching people all over the world. I'm so thankful that my book blogging has given me that joy and sense of accomplishment.

I'd like to thank the many visitors for your continued support of Books and Cooks. You all are like old friends to me and I don't take that lightly. You all inspire me to want to do better. Book people are exceptional people and I am proud to be in your company. I am really excited about this new year and I hope to make my blog an intesting place for you to visit.

Friday Finds: A Couple of Mysteries

Friday Finds is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading where we share books that we've discovered during the week. They can be old or new, it doesn't matter! Its a great way to pass the word around about new-to-you books.

My Friday Finds:

• THREE SECONDS by Anders Roslund and Borge Hellstrom

This crime fiction novel written by two Swedish authors has gotten rave reviews and has put them in the same category as Stieg Larsson. This book was named Sweden's Best Crime Novel of the Year in 2009. This English version was just released this week. You can read a brief synopisi here on Amazon.

• IF WALLS COULD TALK: A Haunted Home Renovation Mystery by Juliet Blackwell

This book was released last month to positive reviews and it sounds to me like a promising new mystery series. It has some paranormal elements in the form of a ghost of a murdered collegue but it doesn't sound like it's too over the top. I like a little paranormal with my mysteries - how 'bout you? I think it sounds like a fun series to try. You can read the synopsis here on Amazon. If you're a Kindle user, ou can download it for only $5.99, which is a great deal!

Those are my finds for the week What books did you discover in your travels this week? Be sure to visit Should Be Reading for more finds and to play along! Have a great Friday!

W.W.W. Wednesdays 1.5.11

To play along, answer these three simple questions:

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you plan to read next?

My responses:

• What are you currently reading? I'm reading BACK CREEK, a debut novel from 2008 by Leslie Goetsch and I'm also reading THE GOOD THIEF by Hannah Tinti.
• What did you recently finish reading? I finished up an audio book a few weeks ago of PRECIOUS by Sapphire. [Review Here]
• What do you plan to read next? I'm planning to read REBECCA by Daphne Du Mauier. I'm also planning to read THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNETS NEST by Stieg Larsson some time this month - whenever they finally decide when to release the trade size paper back this month. Another book I'd love to start reading is WATER FOR ELEPHANTS by Sara Gruen. I've had it on my shelf forever yet I don't know why its taken me so long to read it. I hear its a wonderful book!

What books have you been reading lately? If you'd like to participate in W.W.W. Wednesdays, please visit MizB at Should Be Reading.

Teaser Tuesday 1.4.11

The book I'm teasing you with today is BACK CREEK by Leslie Goetsch. In 1975, eighteen-year-old Grace Barnett, a recent high school graduate, is living out her last carefree summer on the creek and preparing to start college at Virginia University in the fall. But the summer brings a lot of change to Grace and her family - the return of her sister after five long years, a mysterious boating accident on the creek near their home and her mother's sudden absence with no explanation or warning. My teasers are from page 73.

Who could believe that Tommy's explosive accident, not even a week old, had disrupted these sights? Standing on the deck, watching the water flow out toward the York River and the Bay, I was reminded of the larger forces that are always at work. Life didn't stop long for much of anything.

This is just a small sample of the lyrical writing style of Leslie Goetch in her debut novel from 2008. I've had this one on my shelf for quite some time and I'm really glad I picked it up and started reading. I will finish it by the end of the week and have my review soon after. I hope you'll stop by to read my review!

If you'd like to participate in Teaser Tuesday, follow these simple guidelines:

• Grab your current book
• Let it fall open to a random page
• Choose two teaser sentences to share
• Do not include any spoilers!!
• List the book's name, author and page number you took your teasers from

Teaser Tuesday is hosted each week by MizB at Should Be Reading and is open to anyone.

My Favorite Reads of 2010

Although I didn't read as many books last year compared to years past, I still managed to read some truly awesome books! I can't think of one book that I just didn't care for or was a chore to finish - well, maybe one . . . But I do hope to get back to EAT, PRAY, LOVE this year and hopefully finish it. I hate abandoning books, no matter how much they may irritate me.

The biggest surprise for me in books was Stieg Larsson's Millennium series. I put off reading the first two until last year when I finally decided to give them a try to see for myself what all the fuss was about. Everywhere I turned, these books were there and people were talking about them and I just couldn't take it anymore! I wanted in on the conversation! Financial intrigue isn't a genre that I typically gravitate towards, but it became clear right away that there was so much more to the story than just that. I quickly became sucked in to the Vanger family history with all the strange people and developed an instant liking for Mikael Blomkvist. But Lisbeth Salander stole my heart! This misunderstood girl with a mysterious past won me over and I devoured the first two books.

I can honestly say THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE was my favorite book that I read last year. [Review Here] It kept me on the edge of my seat and I hated when it was over. THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO [Review] was my second favorite book. I was happily surprised that I enjoyed this book as much as I did. I completely understand why it could be a difficult one for some to get through with all of the history and characters to learn, but I feel it was time well spent and worth every page.

A few other books that stayed with me long after reading them were:

• UP FROM THE BLUE by Susan Henderson [Review]
• ROOM by Emma Donoghue [Review]
• JANEOLOGY by Karen Harrington [Review]
• SOUTH OF BROAD by Pat Conroy [Review]
• THE MURDERER'S DAUGHTERS by Randy Susan Meyers [Review]
• ON FOLLY BEACH by Karen White [Review]

I also discovered some really great authors last year including Joshilyn Jackson. I loved her wit and strength of character in BACKSEAT SAINTS [Review]. I'm planning to go back and read more of her earlier work this year. A RELIABLE WIFE by Robert Goolrick [Review] left me scratching my head, while the memoir FORGIVING TROY by Thom Bierdz [Review] moved and saddened me. The audiobook PRECIOUS by Sapphire [Review] absolutely horrified me.

Those are just a few of the many great books I read last year and I'm looking forward to many more this year. Right now I'm reading THE GOOD THIEF by Hannah Tinti and BACK CREEK, a wonderful Young Adult book by Leslie Goetsch. This summer I'm hoping to do a read-a-long of ANNA KARENINA with my friend Staci from Life in the Thumb so if you have an interest in joining us, please let us know. It should be a really great experience!

Thanks for stopping by and reviewing my favorite books of 2010. I wish you continued happiness and many, many great books!

The Sunday Salon: A New Year!

Happy New Year Saloners and fellow book lovers! I don't know about you but I'm really looking forward to a fresh new year! For me, the end of 2010 was brutal. Mainly because I felt like I was sick for half of December. Christmas was completely blown over in my family because, except for my Dad, we were all sick! We finally did get to celebrate on New Years Day. My mother (with some help from yours truly) made fabulous traditional New Years Day fare including a pork roast, sauerkraut, and because we do live in the South - black-eyed peas! It was a terrific day with some much welcome warmer weather.

For one reason or another, 2010 was a difficult blogging year for me. I started out strong, but eventually had trouble staying on focus and keeping with my schedule of posts. I could sit and analyze it and break down all the reasons why, but I'll save you from all of that and just state my proclamation for 2011.

January 8th will be the 3rd Anniversary of Books and Cooks and I really want this to be the best year yet! I feel a renewed 'want' to have a better blog this year. So I'm looking forward to more regular posts including more book reviews. In order to do that, of course, I will need to read more books. I haven't actually counted the books I read in 2010, but I know it wasn't anywhere near books read in 2009. Also, I'm looking forward to reading some books that I've had on my shelves for awhile, along with some old and new classics. REBECCA by Daphne Du Maurier, THE BOOK THIEF by Markus Zusak and ANNA KARENINA by Tolstoy to name a few. Each of those books have me very excited.

I invite you to continue to visit Books and Cooks and journey with me through the incredible world of books that is at our fingertips. Books offer so much to so many and I'm proud to consider myself a part of this book blogging community that has undoubtedly left its mark. I wish all of you a wonderfully prosperous New Year that is filled with exciting stories and learning experiences through the books we read.

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