Frankie enlists in the Army to serve as a nurse in the Vietnam War. What she finds there is not what she thought she was signing up for. And when she returns home she is repeatedly told, no women served in Vietnam.
I was completely drawn into first half of the book set in Vietnam. It was horrifying and, yet, purpose could be found and the bonds of friendship for a lifetime forged. The second half, once she returns home is equally heartbreaking and full of the shame and anger that the soldiers felt upon their return home.
My father was drafted and served in Vietnam. Although he rarely talks about the war itself, he does talk about how much disrespect they received once they were home.
The book is emotionally draining and I finished the 470 pages in less than 24 hours! It was addicting. Telling the story of women who saved lives in the Vietnam War is so important and I’m glad that it was done so well.
Some have complained about the end of book romance and I am mostly in agreement. I would have preferred that it was given its proper due or just left out altogether. But that didn’t spoil one bit of my enjoyment of the novel.
It seems to be the book of the season. Have you read it? What did you think?
In March I went to a book swap and I came home with this. I knew next to nothing about Nat Turner, but I’m a sucker for graphic novels. What a book! The only words in the book are quotes, most coming from Nat Turner as he sat in prison. Over 200 pages of shocking, emotional, and violent black and white drawings.
We start at the beginning of incarceration from the villages in Africa, cross the sea in slave ships, and sold to the highest bidder. There is one horrific image from this section that will surely stick with me for quite awhile.
The middle is full of how Nat became this religious figure, who received visions from God, and finally decided that it was time to revolt. The revolt, or insurrection, section was shocking in its violence. Nat and his men were responsible for killing 55 men, women, and children, but even knowing that from the introduction didn’t prepare me. Those images are also going to stick me for quite awhile.
This book is powerful. Some will find the images too violent. It’s not for everyone. The shocking images served the purpose of making me take notice and feel the horror, to see it. It’s a great book.
Recommend for graphic novel lovers and for those who want to know more about Nate Turner and the slave rebellion of 1831.
I decided to discontinue my 5 word movie reviews, but haven’t put anything in its place, so we’re going to try something new.
I watched 5 movies in March and 8 in April. I also streamed season 1 of Resident Alien, 3 Body Problem on Netflix, and season 1 of C.B. Strike based on the Robert Galbraith series. All three of these were great.
These are listed in the order I liked them best. How many of these have you seen?
The Great
Damsel, 2024. All things a great fairy tale should be.
Dune 2, 2023. I liked this one a little better than the first. It was slightly less confusing and visually stunning on the big screen.
Hack Your Health: Secrets of Your Gut, 2024. Short but very good documentary about gut health. So many of us with kids with autism know how important diet is and I applaud these doctors for linking autism to the gut, not just the brain. It’s not about autism. but that it was mentioned a few times in relation to gut made me happy. Not enough doctors know to help parents understand this should be one of the first steps after diagnosis.
The Good
The Batman, 2022. I love all of the Batman movies, some more than others. This was a darker look than some and thought Robert Pattinson was a fine Batman, but less than stellar Bruce Wayne.
Saltburn, 2023. A creepy and oddly compelling tale of a young man wanting friends above his station in life.
Oppenheimer, 2023. I liked it, but thought it was too long. Good movie about the making of the bomb and the man in charge.
We Have a Ghost, 2023. Went in expecting a ghost story and got a lot more. A good family friendly film.
Set It Up, 2018. Cute little romantic comedy about young adults trying to figure out their lives.
Plus One, 2019. An edgier romantic comedy with potential.
Upgraded, 2024. Another romantic comedy, but this one has an aspiring art gallery owner lying her way to the top.
It Chapter Two, 2019. I liked part one, Gage even watched it and liked it (his first real scary movie), but this one was too violent and just boring much of the time. The kid cast was great, but the adults, even the big names, couldn’t save it for me. It’s not quite in the ugly category, but it’s close.
The Ugly
The Hunt, 2020. I have no idea why I continued to watch this past the first 10 minutes. Lots of violence and nonsensical politics.
I attended Avon’s KissCon in 2016 when it came to a library near me and was able hang out and drink wine with one of my first romance crushes, Susan Elizabeth Phillips. She is just as sparkly and quick as you might expect if you read her books I’m not sure when I read my first SEP romance, but it had to be in the 1990s.
I’ve read all of her books. They are fast, fun, sassy, and usually feature spunky heroines and alpha male heroes. She infuses her stories with larger than life characters, lots of humor, and real romantic sparks. I don’t read a lot of contemporary romances, but I make the exception for Phillips and am never disappointed.
Some of these I read so long ago, before blogging, and I’m not going to try and give my thoughts on them. Just know that the early ones I loved enough to continue to buy all of her books when they come out.
What I Did for Love. Georgie and Bram hated each other, but a few drugged drinks, a marriage certificate, and a sleazy paparazzi forced them to come to terms with each other, literally. Georgie could not endure another scandalous marriage so soon after Lance, so she made a deal with the devil. Bram would stay married to Georgie for a hefty fee and use her to gain respectability. My thoughts here.
Call Me Irresistable. Lucy, daughter of the former President of the United States, is preparing to walk down the aisle to marry Mr. Perfect, Ted Beaudine ,when her best friend, Meg voices doubts about the marriage. Lucy takes them to heart and walks out on Ted at the church. Meg is blamed by everyone and is asked to stay in the small Texas town for a few days to see if Lucy returns. But not only is Meg completely broke and cut off from her family, she is also stranded in the town when everyone blames her for the heartbreak of their mayor, Ted. My thoughts here.
The Great Escape. Lucy Jorik’s story has been told by Phillips in First Lady and last year’s Call Me Irresistable. This time around she gets her own book. What happened when she walked out of her wedding to the perfect man and jumped on the back of a stranger’s motorcycle? It’s not easy for the daughter of the first woman President of the United States to disappear, but with Panda’s help she manages to do just that. My thoughts here.
First Star I See Tonight. Coop, a recently retired pro football player is being followed by a fledgling private investigator. When he calls her on it she uses her humor and wit to power through all the way to a new job. Sparks, fly, of course, and there’s plenty of hot sex to keep them panting after each other. My thoughts here.
Simply the Best. Rory is a gifted chocolate maker who makes questionable decisions and her prickly relationship with her younger brother, the quarterback of the Stars. When a neighbor is murdered she must join forces with Brett, her brother’s agent, to keep him out of jail. This book made me want to go to a chocolate shop and try all of the flavors!
Stand Alones
Hot Shot was published in 1991 and I read it then. It was enough to make me a fast fan.
Honey Moon was published in 1993 and I remember loving it, but I’m not going to say more unless I reread it.
I read Breathing Room and according to Good Reads only gave it 3 stars.
Ain’t She Sweet is one of her higher rated ones on Good Reads.
Heroes Are My Weakness. The book opens with our heroine, Annie, having a conversation with her multitude of puppets as she drives to her secluded cabin in the middle of a snowstorm. It’s those puppets that kept me from investing fully in Annie from the beginning. She grew on me but the absurdity of the puppets (and their continued butting into the story) turned me off. My thoughts here.
Dance Away with Me. Tess and Ian are a great couple and their love story was very satisfying, but there was a lot of loss along the way. The book felt very 2020 even though I know it wasn’t written this year. My thoughts here.
April was the slowest reading month for me in at least 4 years! I read 8 books with two clear favorites, a few I really liked, and a couple that were just okay.
Things Past Telling by Sheila Williams. Our book club pick this month. A fresh take on the harrowing and horrific journey of the people stolen from their homes and brought to America as slaves. 4 stars!
Stacy's Books 