Free

 

 

Free

By: Amanda Knox

Summary:

After an eight year legal battle to clear her name of a crime she didn't commit, Amanda takes you behind the scenes of rebuilding her life. How did she do that? What does it look like? How did she move forward from such a traumatic experience? In her own words, Amanda Knox will walk you through it all. From behind prison walls in Italy to all the struggles of living her life, again, outside of those prison walls, let Amanda tell you the good, the bad, the frustrating, the hatred and the healing.

While I knew who Amanda Knox was, I was not one of the many who followed her case closely. There was far more I didn't know, going into the book, than I did know. Thankfully, Amanda spends the Free's prologue catching you up and summarizing the case from arrest to her long awaited freedom. That came in handy, as there was a lot I didn't know.

Amanda gives you a look at her life within the Italian prison she was kept at. She'll share how she came to view the prison Priest as her best friend, despite being agnostic herself. She shares the conversations they had and the far-reaching topics within them. You will learn how she wasn't safe from the suicide debate most prison inmates have. You'll learn how she didn't give in when others did. 

Once whisked away, quickly, to finally go home, life took a new turn on her journey. She wasn't returning home the foreign study student she left. Instead, she was coming home a convicted murderer who had been acquitted, though the public's opinion was split. Amanda had to navigate rebuilding a life in the public eye while the public wasn't so forgiving. Making new friends was as hard to navigate as getting used to using door handles was. The vulnerability she tells her story with, in these early days of freedom, was eye opening for me, at the very least. 

The rollercoaster ride Amanda's case was didn't end when she was acquitted. The Italian prosecutor was able to have her retried- and reconvicted- of the same crime. Which was nothing less than traumatizing for both Amanda, and her family. Desperate to not go back to the hell of the prison, Amanda shares the plan her Mom had come up with, if her daughter was ordered to go back to Italy. Thankfully, the case was taken to Italy's highest court and she was declared not guilty. This verdict officially put an end to this nightmare. Amanda was free and was stay that way.

I was repeatedly impressed with how vulnerable Amanda was in recounting her nightmare. She was forthcoming with the highs and the lows. The betrayals created by her own naiveté and the ones done from another's weakness. As I read her words, my heart broke every time she was slighted or her words twisted into something that fit someone's narrative. I felt a small letdown with every injustice she had to live through. I was as frustrated and blown away with how poorly her case was handled from the get go and how the Prosecutor brought so much of the public narrative to life. 

Having said that, I cheered on the victories. I cheered on her being set free and her case coming to an end. I cheered on when a friend was genuine. I happily read how she met her husband as they built their life together. I was as mystified as her family was when she began communicating with her prosecutor. She was able to be more forgiving than I would've been able to. And, I cheered on their meeting as I hoped she'd hear the very words she deserved to say: I'm Sorry. I was wrong.

I was highly impressed with Free. Amanda is a great writer and is able to relate her thoughts and feelings with the reader so well. Her writing was so clear and thoughtful. How she survived this nightmare I will never know, but she did it with a maturity no adult involved had. I applaud her, her strength and her healing. I applaud her bravery to, once again, retell her nightmare with the focus of healing from it. 

The Girl From Greenwich Street

 

The Girl From Greenwich Street

Buy: Lauren Willig

Genre: Historical Fiction

Summary:

Read of America's first murder trial. Who was the victim? Who was the accused? How did it end? What happened in between the murder and the verdict? And how does Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr figure into it all? Go back in time to see it all unfold.

Lauren Willig is one of my favorite authors! She's one of my auto-buy authors who I just know is going to take me on a journey along with her characters. I discovered her The Secret History of the Pink Carnation and haven't looked back since. I eagerly anticipate her releases and am excitedly counting down the days to when her books will be in my hands.

Having said all that, The Girl From Greenwich Street wasn't my favorite of her works. It wasn't a story I couldn't put down like I'm used to with other Lauren Willig books. However, I still enjoyed reading of how everything unfolded. Seeing how the case was tried back then was in many ways both similar and different to how they are tried now. Plus, it was fun to see Hamilton get under Burr's skin again.

Elma Sands isn't a wealthy young woman by any means. The surprise product of her unmarried parents, you find Elma living with her cousin's family. You find out quickly she is preparing for an important night that she expects will take her life in a very different direction. She was focusing on a bright and happy future. However, while she leaves for her evening, she never returns. A couple weeks later, her body is found in a well. Questions abound. Theories float around as fast as the gossip version of events do. It doesn't take long for Levi Weeks to become the only one accused- despite his firm stand that he had nothing to do with her death. But, times being what they were, the court of public opinion made it's own ruling.

Alexander Hamilton sees this case as a way to get in with Levi Weeks's brother, who is an expert builder of homes. Not only that, it's also a chance to bug the daylights out of Aaron Burr who had recently screwed Hamilton over in a well deal- the very well Elma is found in. While the two butt heads, you learn the background of all the people involved with the case. Elma's cousin Caty and her husband have a less than perfect marriage- which comes into play with Elma. Caty's sister, Hope, had a blooming romance with Levi that comes to an abrupt halt. As Caty's marriage is tested to the brink, Hope is forced to look at the truth through her own eyes, not Caty's filter. 

Like I said, this wasn't a book I couldn't put down, or was gripped with. But I did enjoy learning about the people involved and seeing how things played out back then. I enjoyed the interaction between Burr and Hamilton. I'm glad I read it. It was interesting and informative to get the behind the scenes look at everything as it unfolded.

The Queens of Crime

 

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The Queens of Crime

By: Marie Benedict

Genre: Historical Fiction

Summary:

A group of women mystery writers ban together to prove they are worth taking seriously.

In 1931, women were often ignored, underestimated and living under the whole "better seen than heard" theory. However, Dorothy Sayers isn't taking that laying down. She was already a published mystery writer and had formed even formed an exclusive group of other mystery writers. However, when fellow male members of The Detection Club complain about being taken over by women who will undermine their work (mind you, there was only Dorothy and Agatha Christie as the female members), Dorothy decides to take matters into her own hands. So, she forms a club within the club of several fellow female mystery writers. She feels the only way they'll ever be taken seriously and prove their value is to show the men how capable they are. What's the best way to do that? Why, solve a real life mystery! Hence, the Queens of Crime is born.

May Daniels was a nurse who had mysteriously gone missing. Vanished without a trace for several months with no clues to indicate what happened. Dorothy sees the opportunity for the Queens when May's body is found. A needle is found close to her with traces of morphine in it. The police decide that she was involved in drugs and feel no reason to pursue further. However, the Queens do and what they find turns everything on it's ears. 

If you love Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes books, you will enjoy this. I loved how the women were able to solve the mystery with simple actions that should've been done by the authorities. Throughout the story, you see how the women are dismissed and not taken seriously. The greatest part is how they use that to their advantage to get the answers and solve the crime. 

This isn't a hang on the seat of your chair type book. I had to remind myself how the story takes place in 1931 because things that were ignored or dismissed then wouldn't have been now. It's a very cozy type of mystery. The plot twists aren't jarring. Instead they add a layer to the plot.  While I do feel some holes weren't completely filled, all the important ones were. 

I enjoyed the story. It was different than mysteries you read today and it was nice to visit the simplicity of solving mysteries with wits and intelligence. This would be perfect to curl up with by a fire on a rainy or cold weekend.

The Stolen Queen

 

The Stolen Queen 

By: Fiona Davis

Genre: Historical Fiction

Summary:

Hathorkare was a rare find in Egyptian history: she was a female Pharaoh. Her history isn't free from scandal and mystery. Theories. Mysteries. Questions. A supposed curse. So how does she become involved with two women alive centuries after her death? For Charlotte, the Pharaoh was a passion that came too close to home. For Annie, a fascination from her past becomes a key figure in her present and future.

Dang!! Fiona Davis has done it again!!!! She has written, yet another, phenomenal story. One that will suck you in and have you not want to put it down. How does she do this?! Personally, she's accomplished a rare feet for me. I have a long, rather frustrating, history of DNFing previous attempts of Egyptian storylines. They always sound so good, but I lose interest or get overwhelmed with all the history. But, Fiona, has balanced the history of her characters and keeping the reader coming back for more. 

Fiona took a rare figure in history- one that I bet few would have known existed- and introduced us. Not just introduced, but let us get to know her in a way that present day readers who aren't educated in Egyptian culture and history can understand. On top of all that, she made her relatable and human and someone the reader is rooting for. 

Charlotte Cross is an employee of the Metropolitan Museum in New York City. Having been there for decades, she is heavily involved with the Egyptian section. During the late 1930s, Charlotte was given the opportunity to travel to Egypt and assist in a dig within the Valley of Kings. It's there, she discovers the underground tomb. The very tomb of a female Pharoah, Hathorkare. She learns the the history of her discovery and the scandal involving images of her being destroyed after she died. However, as Charlotte researched more into her Pharaoh, she disagrees with much of what has been told of her. 

As you read more of Charlotte's time in Egypt, you learn she falls in love, gets married and has a child. All of this is taken from her during a horrendous storm on the Nile. While she survives the sinking of their ship, her husband and daughter do not. Along with her onboard were a coworker and stolen items from the digs done- including those belonging to Hathorkare. Has the curse caused the sinking? More importantly, can Charlotte ever recover from losing her husband and infant daughter?

Annie is 19 year old who should be establishing her own life. Instead, she's taking care of her narcissistic, selfish mother. A former model, too old to continue working, Jackie is a mentally delicate woman since her husband's death forced them to survive on their own. Jackie is left without her husband to take care of everything and Annie is left without the Father she loved so much. No more going to the Metropolitan Museum to stare at the Egyptian Art Collection. 

Charlotte and Annie meet the night of the Met Gala when everything goes wrong and priceless Egyptian artifacts are stolen. The only two people who interacted with the mysterious thief, they end up teaming up to locate what was taken. Annie wouldn't mind clearing her name and that of a coworker friend. This mission takes them back to Egypt and uncovers so much more than either woman expected. 

Run- don't walk- to buy this book. Clear your calendar and let Fiona take you on a journey like no other. Solve a mystery. Find love. Answer burning questions. Learn from the past and see how it can shape the present, as well as the future. You won't be sorry. 

Inheriting Magic

 

Summary:

Jennifer Love Hewitt gives you a glimpse into how she makes the everyday a little more fun. Dinner doesn't just have to be a meal eaten at a table. The end of a school year doesn't just have to be an excuse to sleep in. From things her own mother did while she was growing up to things she's created for her own children, get ready to see how you can turn the ordinary and mundane into magical.

I wish we had this book during the pandemic. Inheriting Magic is chalk full of fun, creative ideas to make the ordinary daily life things and turn them into fun, creative moments. She shares how her family turned dinner into an international extravaganza! Why have a junk drawer when you can have a magic closet full of things you don't always let your munchkins have? You can have regular water- or you can have moon water! And baskets don't just have to be part of the Easter fun! Jennifer shows you how those same baskets can be used to embrace new seasons or moments in life. 

This book is so much fun and full of so much imagination! I'm bummed my kids are older because I would have implemented these ideas for them. We had an imaginative and fun household loaded with creativity, but this book had several ideas I would have loved adding to. 

If you're a parent- or know of a parent- who loves to take the mundane and add creativity to it, this book is for you!! Memories are waiting to be made and this book gives you so many to choose from. Run to your bookstore to buy it!!

Mr. Lemoncello's Fantabulous Finale

 

Mr. Lemoncello's Fantabulous Finale

By: Chris Grabenstein

Genre: Young Readers

Summary:

The famous Mr. Lemoncello has decided to make plans for handing over the reigns of his vast empire. And in true Lemoncello fashion, the only way to find the successor is through a contest. The winner will be the one who will take over for Lemoncello. Let the games (and silliness) begin!!

Since his was 13 years old, Mr. Luigi Lemoncello has made his fortune in the games business. However, it grew to libraries, factories, a soon-to-be amusement park- just to name a few. But the day has come when he's decided to pass the baton. So, he holds a contest. 13 kids can get a Titanium Ticket. Of those 13, one will be the winner of it all! However, the contest isn't without it's bumps along the way.

Fans of the series will get a chance to visit with the beloved characters they've come to know (Kyle). They'll also get an unpleasant visit from the series least likeable character (We're looking at you, Charles). Not to mention get to meet some new kids to add to the mix. 

Our 13 Titanium Ticket holders partake in scavenger hunts, brainstorming game ideas, challenges & math riddles. All the while, whittling the number down as they move through the contest. The stakes all change when they get the yet to be open to the public amusement park, Lemoncelloland. As each kiddo is given an individualized mission, they navigate the different lands and rides. All to be met with news that brings the contest to a screeching halt. Said news forces the remaining players to shift their focus.

Readers of this beloved and fun series will enjoy it's finale. It was entertaining to see each character reveal their true selves through the different games of the contest. Some players you were happy to see go, while others chose to live out their dreams in other areas. The teamwork you have come to love in the previous series installments is in this one, as well. Charles Chiltington is still up to his usual tricks- just as he's been throughout the series. But seeing the way they play out in this book was fun.

I loved meeting most of the new characters. There were some I wasn't sad to see not make it. As the characters navigate the challenges, you could really see who was a good fit and held the same spirit that Mr. Lemoncello himself had. 

The ending wasn't all that unexpected for me, but it was still great. I felt it was the right call and spoke of Lemoncello's vision for his company, but his loyal customers. I'm sad to see the series end. It's always been one of my favorites just for how fun and creative they are. However, I look forward to seeing what Chris Grabenstein comes up with next. 

Dinner For Vampires

 

Dinner For Vampires

By: Bethany Joy Lenz

Genre: Memoir

Summary:

Once bitten by the acting bug, Bethany Joy Lenz chased her dream from New York to California. What she didn't plan on was falling into a Christian cult. Not to mention being the last one to realize she had. Within these pages, she tells how it all unfolded. She peels back the layers she didn't always know existed to show you what her life looked like before, during and getting out of the controlling hands of people she once trusted. 

From a young age, Bethany discovered her love for the arts. Whether it be acting or singing, these creative endeavors were her passion and escape. At 18, she formed a band while in New York. At 19, she moved to LA to pursue her love of acting. The two locations turned out to be more different than she anticipated. Life in New York seemed effortless and like home. Whereas, life in LA was isolating and made her feel as if she didn't belong. Friends were plentiful in one, but scarce in the other. 

Cue a group of people meeting at a house for a Bible Study. What started out innocently morphed into something everyone around her questioned. This group that studied the Bible together became a close knit group who supported one another. As time moved on, this tight group became to feel more like a family. The leaders taking on a more hands-on and controlling nature. While real family members of the group noticed a dark intention, the group themselves felt loved. However, that love grew more and more controlling, manipulative and sinister. As years rolled by, Bethany's feelings exchanged comfort for distrust. By the time the light finally shown on her situation, Bethany had a daughter. How was she going to get them out of this group's control? How was she going to protect her daughter from people Bethany now wanted nothing to do with?

There were numerus parts of this book that were hard for me to read. Seeing how subtle the leaders of this group gained control of it's members was disturbing. Seeing how manipulative they became of their members in order to continue their control was infuriating. What began as gentle emotional support grew into mind control. The leaders were able to so seamlessly gain autonomy over every aspect of the members. The leaders control their thoughts, decisions and jobs. All while the members never even thinking twice. Reading all of this was scary enough. Seeing it play out in Bethany's life was gut wrenching.

In Dinner For Vampires, Bethany tells you how they talked her out of making her Broadway dreams come true. How this group was instrumental in her job on One Tree Hill. She'll tell you how they would manipulate themselves back into front and center of her life whenever she began to drift away. How they preyed on her every vulnerability- even in the romance department. She would eventually marry the son of a leader and quickly realize the mistake it was. Bethany will tell you how huge that very mistake would go on to be. 

As you read her story, you will journey all over the emotional map. I felt anger at everyone for allowing this to happen. My heart broke when she would lose out on a dream they talked her out of. I was in shock when she discovered how much money they had taken from her. I was cheering her father on when he showed up locked and loaded with years of intel he had been doing into the main leader. By the time I read the last word, I was emotionally exhausted and I hadn't been the one to live it out. 

I applaud Bethany Joy Lenz for being willing to share her story. For being willing to share how she allowed people into her life who would eventually take it over. I would like to thank her for being so raw with this nightmare- I know there are other people out there walking a similar path. It wasn't an easy read so I know it wasn't easy to write. I'm glad she was able to claw her way out. I'm glad there were people ready and waiting to help her in any way they could- some were former members.