Book Journey

Fifteen year old Mosey Slocumb wants to be like other girls her age.  She wants to have close girl friends, she wants to date boys, and she wants to have a mom and a dad who love her to the core. 

But none of this seems to be in the cards for her.

Mosey lives with her grandmother “Big” Virginia who feels that something bad happens every fifteen years.  Why she had her own daughter, Mosey’s mom, Liza, when she was 15.  Liza in turn had Mosey at 15 and when Liza turned 30 she has a massive stroke, that seems to carry a lot of mystery around it. 

Then as if life is not mixed up enough, while a pool is being put in for Liza’s therapy a small box of infant bones is found during the dig and life takes yet another spin…

Whose bones are they and who holds the secret to that answer?

This is my third book/audio by Joshilyn Jackson.  I have listened to Gods In Alabama, and Backseat Saints.  All three of these audio books are narrated by the author and if you are an audio book person you are going to love her narration.  If you are new to audio, these books would be wonderful starters as she is a captivating read.

A Grown Up Kind Of Pretty is a bit different from the previous two books I read.  Because of Mosely’s age and occasional first person narration of the book, you could almost call this a YA read.  Almost.  Big is also a first person narrator of the book and Liza comes in as a third person narration, mainly recalling the past and what she wishes she could change.  The result of this style of writing is impressive as you are hearing from the three generations of women with only 15 years between each of them. 

I found the story line engaging but occasionally hard to keep track of the present and the past that were being discussed by the current narrator, you really had to pay attention to the perspective that the story was being told from, Mosely’s being the easiest to follow as she has a younger tone and voice.

Over all, I am once again thrilled with the creativity of Joshilyn Jackson, while this is not my favorite of hers that I have listened to, I am glad I spent time with it and look forward to reading/listening to her again.

Oh wow!  I laughed out loud and at times stifled a cry at the tone of this book.  Jandy Nelson writes like John Green and that is a HIGH HIGH compliment coming from me.

~ Sheila

17-year-old Lennie and her older sister Bailey are two peas in a pod.  Being raised by their grandmother the two girls find comfort and companionship with each other after their mother had went out “exploring” one day and never came back.  When Bailey suddenly dies, Lennie is beside herself with grief.  When Bailey’s boyfriend Toby starts hanging around they console each other and Lennie feels that Toby may be the only one in the world who feels the pain of loss as deeply as she does.

Then a new boy comes to town.  Joe is everything Lennie would like to be.  He is confident and talented and oh soooo good-looking.  When they meet each other in music class Lennie feels a spark she never knew existed and they start hanging out together.  Yet Toby is still there and when Lennie is with Toby she feels as though she is close to Bailey as well, even though her attraction to Toby disgusts her and she feels guilty that he was her sister’s boyfriend; and as she finds out along the way – even more than that.

How do you move on from a life that centered around a sibling that knew you as well as you knew yourself, that not only shared your room… but shared your heart.  How does one go on living… go on breathing the air in a world you once shared?

First off…. every one who has already read or listened to this book and raved about it please feel free to kick me for not reacting sooner.  It always amazes me when an incredible read is sitting right under my nose and by the time I pick it up I am stunned to realize it is a book I am probably going to love forever.

Meet The Sky Is Everywhere.

I listened to this book on audio while I was painting and it engaged me right away (always a plus).  I was not bogged down with an overload of background story, characters to remember, places to recount, and facts to store…  Nope.  Right away The Sky Is Everywhere opens up and reveals its heart and it’s heart is Lennie. 

For someone who has experienced grief over the loss of a sibling, I can honestly say Lennie’s pain, Lenny’s attempts to hold on, were very real.  My heart broke with hers as she clung to her sisters memory trying to stay within its shadow and not let any light in.  I have been there.

Yet – miraculously, life does go on, if we want it to or not.   In this book Lennie’s moving on is wonderfully “teenagerish” (yet growing up too) , as well as engaging listening.  Kudos to the narration by Julie Whelan who had me at times laughing at Lennie’s reaction to her environment and at times holding back a sob.  Honestly, I have not been this excited about this style of read since I discovered John Green.

I believe if you enjoy John Green, you are totally going to get The Sky Is Everywhere and feel like gushing about it too.  Do not hesitate to run to your local book store and pick up this wonderful book.  Oh and then be sure to come back and tell me here how FABULOUS it was! 

John F Kennedy took the White House by storm.  He was young, we was intelligent and with Jackie Kennedy by his side they were a power team.

Yet behind the big white doors all was not well in what was commonly referred to during the Kennedy’s reign as Camelot.  Kennedy had a liking of women and many throughout his tears as president visited the White House and John, while Jackie, knowing of some, suspecting more, of her husbands flings would take long weekends away from the White House giving both her and her husband space.

Camelot was a place where actresses were entertained by both John and Jackie.  Lavish parties were held by the couple, and while the above states an unfaithful man, in the end John really did love Jackie and Jackie loved John.

Of course, being President is not all fun and games and campaigning and keeping the country in order was a lot of work for both of the Kennedy’s.  While in the White House Jackie had given birth to a son who passed away being premature, and of course she had the two children Caroline and John Jr.

This read however is not only about the time in the Presidency, but a war is at hand and a dark shadow that has been following JFK for some time… inches closer and closer.

Bill O’Reilly is not only an engaging writer, he is also a remarkable narrator.  Much like when I listened to The Killing of Lincoln by this very same author, I was fully emerged in the world of the Presidency.  No one can deny that the Kennedy’s were fascinating people.  John’s battle with back pain *which according to this author eventually may have contributed to his death* , the delightful Jacklyn always holding it together even when things were not as they would seem, their children Carolyn and John Jr, and of course John’s brothers… especially Bobby.

If this subject is remotely interesting to you I highly recommend listening to it.  All of the background of the JFK presidency, and the underlying side story of Oswald and his insane behaviors and political views.  I thought it was a very good telling of the Kennedy murder.