Book Review: The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley

History has all but forgotten...In the spring of 1708, an invading Jacobite fleet of French and Scottish soldiers nearly succeeded in landing the exiled James Stewart in Scotland to reclaim his crown.

Now, Carrie McClelland hopes to turn that story into her next bestselling novel. Settling herself in the shadow of Slains Castle, she creates a heroine named for one of her own ancestors and starts to write.

But when she discovers her novel is more fact than fiction, Carrie wonders if she might be dealing with ancestral memory, making her the only living person who knows the truth-the ultimate betrayal-that happened all those years ago, and that knowledge comes very close to destroying her...

Buy this book here: The Winter Sea  

Title: The Winter Sea

Author: Susanna Kearsley

Pages: 544

Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.

I really really enjoyed this book. So much so that I am planning on buying another book by Susanna Kearsley sometime in the near future.The book felt unique from anything else I have ever read. It was elegantly written and the story was charming. I really enjoyed the experience!

The beginning of the novel took me a little while to get into. Its not that it was boring, it just didn't immediately draw me in like some books I have read. You know how there is usually a point in a book where you realize that it is really good and you can't wait to recommend it to someone?!? Well, that point didn't come, for me at least, until the very end. All through the book I thought, oh this is good, but it was really the ending that I was like 'this is awesome'!! 

The book focuses on Carrie McClelland, who is writing a novel set in 1708 Scotland. Every other chapter throughout the book switches between Carrie's life and then a chapter from Carrie's novel. It was a really interesting way to read a book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I felt that it kept the book moving quickly, because no matter which setting I was currently reading about, I was curious about the opposite one. 

The only thing that I didn't really like about the book was the explanation given for the 'ancestral memories' that Carrie was experiencing. Kearsley tried to give a scientific explanation for it, but I felt that it was inadequate in making it seem believable. I think I would have been more comfortable with a more magical explanation than trying to bring in DNA and the inheritance of genes. It just seemed out of place.

I would recommend this book to everyone! It is a good, fun read! It is light and airy, the plot is interesting, and the characters are likable. Overall I would give the book a 4 arrow rating!

Throwback Thursday: Matilda by Roald Dahl

"The Trunchbull" is no match for Matilda!

Who put superglue in Dad's hat? Was it really a ghost that made Mom tear out of the house? Matilda is a genius with idiot parents - and she's having a great time driving them crazy. But at school things are different. At school there's Miss Trunchbull, two hundred menacing pounds of kid-hating headmistress. Get rid of the Trunchbull and Matilda would be a hero. But that would take a superhuman genius, wouldn't it?

Buy this book here: Matilda

Title: Matilda

Author: Roald Dahl

Pages: 240

Publisher: Puffin Books

I thought I would try something new this Thursday, and take a look at one of my favorite childhood books. Matilda is my favorite chapter book from childhood, and even today ranks quite high in the most loved books I own. 

The story is witty and funny. I always felt a close relationship with Matilda growing up. I liked to read, I loved school, and what kid doesn't like to play pranks on her parents? Even the Trunchbull is perfectly terrifying in this book! 

The book is pretty different from the movie, so even if your kids have seen the movie you should still get them the book! If they are anything like I was, they will love it! The pictures throughout the book make it a good chapter book for school-aged kids. Quentin Blake did a fantastic job illustrating the novel. And they are frequent enough throughout the book to keep even younger kids entertained if you choose to read this aloud. (Which I highly recommend! It was one of my favorite things as a kid to read chapter books aloud.)

This book is fun, carefree, and perfect for kids! Even as an adult I still enjoying sitting down and reading it, mainly for the nostalgia of it all. It really is a masterpiece!

Just Finished

A book to add to my 'read' shelf:

Title: The Winter Sea

Author: Susanna Kearsley

Pages: 544

Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.

Buy the book here: The Winter Sea  

My husband bought me this book for Christmas on recommendation from my sister-in-law. I really enjoyed the book! Check back in the next couple of weeks or so for my full review of the book!!

This is the first book I've finished since beginning this book blog, but definitely not the last! I'm already 20 pages into my next adventure. :) Speaking of which, here is what I am now currently reading:

Title: The Algorithm

Author: Jason Ford

Pages: 202

Self-published

Get this book here: The Algorithm

What book are you currently reading? If you're like me you are constantly reading a book, and the second one is done you've already begun the next! I'm open to suggestions too, so feel free to leave a comment and let me know what I should read next!

Movie Mondays: The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Welcome to:

Mondays here at Found in the Fiction are devoted to comparing books and the movies that were based on them! We are going to be looking at which was better, and why I thought so!!! So stick around, comment and let me know which you liked better, and enjoy!

Lets get started!!

Aibileen Clark is a black maid in 1962 Jackson, Mississippi, raising her seventeenth white child. She's always taken orders quietly, but lately it leaves her with a bitterness she can no longer bite back. Her friend Minny Jackson has certainly never held her tongue, or held on to a job for very long, but now she's working for a newcomer with secrets that leave her speechless. And white socialite Skeeter Phelan has just returned from college with ambition and a degree but, to her mother's lament, no husband. Normally Skeeter would find solace in Constantine, the beloved maid who raiser her, but Constantine has inexplicably disappeared.

Together, these seemingly different women join to work on a project that could forever alter their destinies and the life of a smal town - to write, in secret, a tell-all book about what it's relaly like to work as a black maid in the white homes of the South. Despite the terrible risks they will have to take, and teh sometimes humorous boundaries they will have to cross, these three women unite with one intention; hope for a better day.

Buy this book here: The Help

Title: The Help

Author: Kathryn Stockett

Pages: 522

Publisher: The Penguin Group 

This book is amazing. If you haven't read it, STOP! Stop right now!! Whatever you are doing at this very minute, cut it out! And then run as fast as you can to your nearest bookstore and buy it! I'm not kidding, this book was an amazing evaluation of human morals and social structures. 

The book is set in 1960's Mississippi and examines the relationships of black maids and their white female bosses. It definitely pulls at the heartstrings as it looks at the daily struggles that the black women go through while being looked down upon by much of society. Despite the fact that they clean the homes, raise the children, and cook the meals, the white women look at them as if they were from another planet.

Kathryn Stockett really hit a home run with this book. I can not recommend it enough. Stockett's style of writing is sophisticated yet simple to read. The book flows smoothly from page to page. She masterfully intertwines humor and joy into what otherwise could have been an overly serious storyline. The characters in the book are lovable and Stockett effortlessly transports the reader back into a different time and place. 

As I turned the pages of The Help I was totally sucked into the world that Stockett created. It was so much fun to read and I'm sure I will read it again and again! This is the first book that I can firmly give 5 arrows to. Not only did I enjoy reading it, but I feel like it changed me in the process.

And now, time for the movie comparison, which you can by here if you'd like: The Help  

First things first, I will always love the book version of The Help better than the movie. But the reason why is pretty simple. Both were absolutely amazing in my opinion. When there is that close of a tie, the book will win by default in my books. Its just the way I tick. I guess thats why Found in the Fiction is a book review blog, not a movie blog :)

The movie version of The Help was a wonderful follow-up to a book that I thoroughly enjoyed. With these types of books I always get nervous to watch the movie. A book so full of raw human emotion and drama like this one is can sometimes get lost on the big screen. However, I felt like they did an amazing job. This was the first movie I saw Emma Stone in that I absolutely loved her!

When it comes to The Help I would strongly recommend seeing both the movie and reading the book! Read the book first, that way you get to enjoy all the surprises and twists in the book that are revealed too quickly in a movie format!!

After you've read this one (or if you already have) please come back and tell me what you thought and which you liked better!! Your comments are appreciated!

Movie:                     Book:                      Kindle Edition: 

Book Review: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father's servant, The Kite Runner is a beautifully crafted novel set in a country that is in the process of being destoryed. It is about the power of reading, the price of betrayal, and the possibility of redemption; and an exploration of the power of fathers over sons - their love, their sacrifices, their lies.

A sweeping story of family, love and friendship told against the devastating backdrop of the history of Afghanistan over the last thirty years, The Kite Runner is an unusual and powerful novel that has become a beloved, one-of-a-kind classic.

Get this book here: The Kite Runner

Title: The Kite Runner

Author: Khaled Hosseini

Pages: 384

Publisher: Riverhead Books

I really enjoyed this book because it made me think, and it made me think hard. About who I am, the choices I make everyday, and the people those choices affect. That is probably why I loved this book. When you find a book that alters the way you think, than you know its a good one!

The Kite Runner is a book set in tumultuous Afghanistan. It follows the stories of young boys Amir and Hassan. Hosseini develops the political turmoil very well as he examines the life of Amir, son of a wealthy businessman, and Hassan, the son of a servant. While best friends in the beginning, when Amir stands by as other boys beat and harass Hassan, their friendship is changed forever.

Amir and his father escape to America, while Hassan remains in Afghanistan as the Taliban takes over. While the novel has political undertones, when all is said and done it is a book about people and their human emotions. After Amir acts cowardly in the streets of Kabul as a young boy, he spends the rest of the book trying to atone for that mistake. 

Hosseini's writing style is honest and compelling. He does not leave out the unpleasant details, instead he lays them out for all to read. This honesty makes the book that much more heart-wrenching and painful, yet beautiful at the same time.

I would easily recommend this book to anyone and everyone. Read it. It is an amazing examination on the human soul. What is forgiveness, and how do we obtain it? I, hands down, give this book 5 arrows. It should be read by everyone!

Book Review: The Selection by Kiera Cass

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself - and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

Buy this book here: The Selection

Title: The Selection

Author: Kiera Cass

Pages: 352

Publisher: HarperTeen

With the third book in this series having just come out a few days ago, I thought I would share my thoughts on the previous two books, and ultimately why I won't be buying or reading the third installment anytime soon. 

For me, this book felt like ABC's The Bachelor, only held in ancient times. 35 girls are chosen to compete for the hand of the Prince. At anytime they can be sent home, its all up to Prince Maxon. Starting to sound similar to anyone else? There is lots of drama, girl-girl drama, girl-boy drama, and ultimately the book finishes with no real resolution.

I understand the book is the first in a trilogy, but I was surprised when the second book picked up immediately where the first one left off. Like word for word?!? Since when did that become a thing? I noticed the same thing happened in the Divergent books. And honestly, I wasn't really a fan of that style. I think its because I felt like Cass was simply stretching out the storyline in order to sell more books and convince people they needed to read the next one.

I really felt like the whole "Selection" process could have been resolved in a single book, and then Cass could have looked at different story lines and developed those in future books. Instead she dragged out a single plot into three different novels. By the time the second one finished I was no longer interested, and so I won't be reading the third book. I'll ask my friends to see what the ultimate conclusion was, but I just can't bring myself to read it.

The characters seemed immature and unfinished. America (yes, her name is really America) lacked substance and background. And I hated the fact that her name was America. I understand why Cass chose it, to show her fighting nature. In the end though, it fell short of that.

If you are looking for a quick easy read, then this is a book for you. There was very little substance, but at least the first book kept me interested enough to finish. If, however, you are looking for something with depth, with characters that excite and enthrall you, and a great adventure that you can dive into, this is probably not the book for you. I give this book a 2 arrow rating. Don't waste your time unless all you are looking for is something to waste your time with.