The Memory House - Rachel Hauck

The Memory House by Rachel Hauck
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Oh man. So I only received a sneak peak at the first chapter from the publisher via NetGalley. The introduction to one of the main characters seems like a major departure from Rachel Hauck's usual work...and I think I'm going to love it. I can't wait to get my hands on the rest.

As noted above, I was excited to get my hands on the complete book. So thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for supplying me with an ARC. Unfortunately, I think my expectations were set a bit too high.

Beck Holiday lost her father (and her memories of him) in the attacks of 9/11. Many years later as a NYC cop, she goes a bit off the rails and gets suspended. Her suspension coincides with learning she has inherited a home in Florida. The home intersects Beck story with the story of the woman who gave it to her, Everleigh.

I think these story lines had a lot of potential; I just didn't love how they were executed. The individual stories didn't seem well organized and several story lines were dropped throughout the pages. There were also some discrepancies, which is one of my major pet peeves in books. For example, why did Beck believe that the car she noticed was a neighbor when she clearly saw the New York plates on it. Also, Beck peered out the window and saw someone in a tailored suit, but then it was really Hunter not in a suit at all. The dog preferred the dark on one page but then the light a few pages later. Simple fixes editing should have caught.

And why was it a big deal that Everleigh was pregnant? She was married when she got pregnant.

I wanted to love it. I just didn't. I didn't really connect with any of the characters. It was just okay to me.

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Between Shades of Gray - Ruta Sepetys

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lithuania - 1941. Lina is fifteen-years-old and living the average young girl's life with her family. Until the Soviets invade her country, her town, her home. Lina, her mother, and brother are deported. This is the story of her struggle to survive.
I have read much about World War II when it involves Germany and the camps and prisoners there. Probably due to the popularity of Anne Frank and the fact I teach Night to my 8th graders. So this was branching out for me. And it was good.
While fiction, it still opened my eyes to another area of tragedy during this time. While depressing, it was also curiously uplifting. Lina is a fighter. I enjoyed her character - the personality, the development.
The book was very well-written. Engaging, informative, and inspiring.

3/4/19 Reread for book club. My above assessment and star count remain the same.

More of my reviews at http://mommyreadsbooks.blogspot.com

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Return to Dignity - Marilyn Skinner

Return to Dignity: Stories of Hope, Faith, Courage and Transformation by Marilyn B. Skinner
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Inspiring stories of women who's lives have been changed through Living Hope Ministries.
They were hard to read at times. Not just for some of the content; what some of these ladies when through is horrific. But the way the stories were written themselves. I don't know if that is because maybe they were told orally and then written down without much editing. But the narrative timeline in each story bounces around some, and there's repetition.

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