The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

This book is insane. I don't often read memoirs but this one is pretty darn amazing. I picked it up used a couple years ago because I had heard it was a must read, and they were not kidding about that. This book is a total must read.

It's about the life that Jeannette Walls had growing up. It details in the realest ways her past and it's not pretty. It really brings into perspective the truth that you don't really know what someone else's life is like and you shouldn't ever judge, or compare, because no one's life is like yours.

Her writing is mesmerizing and beautiful. So many times my heart broke for her and the things she experienced. If this book isn't the book that highlights how to deal with family and how to persevere then I don't know what is.

I'm pretty sure I told my fiancee literally everything in the book right after I read it because I needed to talk about it with someone. It's like I knew it was real but I couldn't deal with that because how could it have happened that way?

I don't want to go into details about it really, you can find some more insight on Goodreads because I don't want to explain everything as I think you just need to read it. Like for real. Please read this.

The reason I picked it up off my shelf to read it now was because I heard it was being made into a movie, and boy, I cannot wait for that movie.

This book was so good, but yet, so terrible that it's true, but again, so good!

Recommendation: If you want to be amazed and horrified and amazed all at once, read this. Scratch that, just read this!

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

Last year I took part in a local book/writing conference thing and I got the opportunity to sit in on a whole bunch of lectures and workshops by people who write and publish. It was pretty amazing.

One workshop that stood out to me was about writing urban fantasy. The teacher was a young woman who was so totally awesome and she talked about the book she was writing as well as her love for a particular author: Holly Black.

Until this point I was vaguely aware of the name, and not at all aware of her work, but the name stuck with me. When I realized this beautiful book was written by Holly Black and it was all over Instagram, I went and grabbed it up.

Before even starting this book I flipped to the back and ended up reading an excerpt of another one of her books. Right from the start, after only about a page and a half, I was hooked on her writing style.

I ate this book up quite quickly and got my hands on another of her books before I was even done this one. I really liked it. It was something different and awesome.

I love fairy tales, especially the ones that are actually about the fae. The fact that this book meshed the real world we live in with the fairy world was so cool and really well done. It had fairies, royalty, death, destruction, and the race to save the ones you love. It was magical.

The only problem I had with this one was the bits about high school. I'm a little over the other side of the hill in age and reading about kids in school was harder to connect with, but I didn't let that little detail bug me too much.

I loved the characters, I loved the relationships, and I loved the realness. There's a real human quality to this book that can sometimes gets a little lost once you delve into the world of fantasy.

Recommendation: For fantasy lovers, for young adult fantasy lovers, and for the lovers of fairies who wish they too can go and rescue the fairy prince in his glass coffin.

Dust and Shadow: An Account of the Ripper Killings by Dr. John H Watson by Lyndsay Faye

This was really cool book! The important details of this book are right there in the title. Ripper killings being investigated by Sherlock Holmes!?

Could this be any more perfect!?

I've never met a Sherlock Holmes book yet that I haven't liked and I am happy this book didn't break that streak.

This book was "written" by Dr. Watson, so we had is point of view on the whole situation from his eyes, which I loved. After all, he always wrote about Sherlock exploits!

There was a couple interesting characters that showed up that gave this book a different feel than the traditional Holmes story, but I was totally okay with that.

I've always been interesting in the Ripper killings and I was totally engrossed in the story right from the start. It's possible my love might be a little biased because there was virtually no way I wasn't going to love this book!

I really loved how the book ended, as well as the explanation of who the Ripper in this book was. It feels almost like it could have been a possible explanation of who the real Ripper was.

I've already loaned this book out and talked about it quite a bit. It's something that murder mystery and Sherlock Holmes lovers need to read!

Recommendation: Don't miss this one. It's great. 100% for the lovers of Sherlock Holmes and those curious about the Jack the Ripper murders!

Looking Back & Looking Forward

Hello dear readers,

Once upon a time I did monthly wrap ups, and I had bigdreams about doing more than just reviews on this little corner of the internet. Things have been sporadic here but I haven't given up on these dreams. I am trying to do like the lovely Leigh Bardugo says and "begin as you mean to go on". Nothing like the new year to reflect back, and make bigger and better plans for the future!

Let's start with my review of 2017. It was one heck of a year, but it came and went faster than I thought possible. 

I set my Goodreads challenge to 60 books last year and I made my goal with still a couple days to spare! A couple years ago when I started doing the yearly challenge, I set myself a goal of 100 books because I was sure I read that much normally and it would be a super easy thing to do. It wasn't and the first year I only made it to 50 books. Last year I set it a little higher at 60 and I made it. 

This year, I am going for 75. 

The goal of 100 is still in my mind but I am allowing myself a little grace and I am aiming for what *should* be reasonably within my reach. Whatever number I reach is still just a number, and I don't think that it really matters whatever number I or anyone else reach as long as we are doing it for the right reasons. I am going into this challenge with a happy heart and a goal simply to read as much as I possibly can because it feeds my soul. 

I did the nanowrimo challenge as well and failed miserably. Writing is still where my heart lives, but for some reason (actually a whole host of reasons that I don't want to admit to) I have a hard time throwing myself fully into my writing. It's what I want to do, but instead I turn to scrolling through Instagram or journalling, dreaming about that life when I am a full time writer. 

A big thing for 2018 is to live my life more intentionally. I have a full time day job that isn't all that and I want to spend my free time doing things that make me happy, like reading, writing, blogging, and paper crafts. Instead I do the things that simply make me feel good in the moment, but actually make me feel terrible about wasting my precious time off after I've done them. (I'm looking at you scrolling, mindless daytime tv, games on my phone, and living on my couch in pj's). It's time for a change. 

I've been trying to think of a word for the year for days now and I couldn't really come up with something I liked beyond "intentional", which is probably the most perfect word of the year for me. I think I am feeling uneasy about it because it means I actually have to do something. It's not just a pretty word that can be applied to situations where I'm sitting on my butt and hiding away. It means I have to think, and I have to do things, and I have to do them with a purpose. 

Baby steps, of course. 

Speaking of being intentional, my plans for this little corner of the internet is to post different kinds of content along with reviews, catch up with my reviews, reach more people, and get involved more in the book loving community in any way I can! 

I enjoy nattering on about books which is the whole reason I started this blog and the bookstagram account (@pamela.reads) a couple years ago, and I want to see them both flourish...intentionally!

Here's to a new year and a new start! Thanks for reading!

Pamela 

Art in the Blood by Bonnie MacBird

This is a new Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson story. I say new because to me it feels just like the real ones that I am happy calling it that. I honestly don't think I've met a Sherlock story by any author that I haven't truly enjoyed yet. I hope I never do. 

This one finds Sherlock recovering from his investigation into the Ripper murders, and his return to health and detective work. It has himself and Dr. Watson going to Paris in pursuit of a missing child for a beautiful French performer, a priceless French sculpture, British aristocracy and, of course, it wouldn't be a Sherlock story if there weren't a nemesis or two popping up. 

Art in the Blood is a multifaceted story with three mysteries who are artfully solved by our hero and flawed human that is Sherlock Holmes at his usual best. This one does have a different feel because it deals of course with Paris, with a nemesis that we won't have seen before, but it does still have all the hallmarks of the great detective that I love.

There is a second book out already, but I haven't had the opportunity to grab it up yet. Don't worry, I will. Sherlock Holmes and all who do such a good job of writing about him will always be of interest to me. 

Recommendation: For the lovers of Sherlock Holmes and his many forms. This is a must read. I really can't see how you would regret it!

Juicy Pens, Thirsty Paper by SARK

I grabbed this lovely book at the library a month or so ago. I grabbed it in the writing section and the title was what grabbed me, but the book itself is what made me take it home.

This is the second book that I've seen done in this unique style. It's done by hand. The words are handwritten, the drawings are done by hand, all of it. It's utterly awesome and totally different from what you normally find on the shelves.

Made me feel like we were holding a copy of her art journal in our hands that was all about writing and being creative and being free with your art. Each page is its own piece of art that is unlike a lot of what's out there.

She really does get the message across that you can be creative and free and anything is possible. She even includes some exercises inside to get you going. She message was pretty spot on for me and I greatly enjoyed it.

If you come across this out and about in life or at the library, I suggest you pick it up and leave through it. It's pretty darn cool inside and something that I think you'll really enjoy having a look at.

Recommendation: This is one of those creativity boosters that we all need at one time or another. Pick this up if you'd like a little hand written sunshine in your day.

My Part Time Paris Life: How Running Away Brought Me Home by Lisa Anselmo

This memoir caught my eye at Chapters while I was roaming around near the travel section. The cover is beautiful and the idea of someone actually running away, following their dreams, and doing the crazy unthinkable sounded like the perfect book.

I wasn't sure exactly what her story was before picking up the book, but I was on board for the ride because it had to do with living in Paris. This isn't just about a woman who through caution to the wind and bought property in another country, but about a woman who loses her mother and seeks to find herself now that the centre of her life isn't there anymore.

The book follows Lisa from the death of her mother, to that first crazy thought of moving to Paris, to her actually buying a home and moving there for more than a couple weeks. There are ups and downs along the way, and we get to read about how the experiences changed her and helped her grow.

It's like the books Eat, Pray, Love and Wild in that it deals with a loss and the need to reinvent or even simply to find yourself again, be who you are, and be happy. I appreciate these memoirs so much because they are so honest and real and about every day people.

It was a fairly quick read, simple but enjoyable. It made me smile, it made me tear up, and it was so well written that I felt like I was there too. I highly recommend this book, especially if you are someone who loves reading about the people who take life into their hands and do awesome things in pursuit of themselves.

Recommendation: For the love of memoirs about thought women who take back their lives and just go for it.