Review - Sawbones by Melissa Lenhardt

Title: Sawbones (Sawbones #1)

Author: Melissa Lenhardt

Synopsis:

Outlander meets post-Civil War unrest in this fast-paced historical debut.

When Dr. Catherine Bennett is wrongfully accused of murder, she knows her fate likely lies with a noose unless she can disappear. Fleeing with a bounty on her head, she escapes with her maid to the uncharted territories of Colorado to build a new life with a new name. Although the story of the murderess in New York is common gossip, Catherine's false identity serves her well as she fills in as a temporary army doctor. But in a land unknown, so large and yet so small, a female doctor can only hide for so long.

My Thoughts:

I received a free ebook copy of this book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Life at the Frontier in post Civil-War America was not a bed of roses, least of all if you happened to be a qualified doctor AND a woman. This is what Melissa Lenhardt proves us in Sawbones, the first book in her western trilogy that runs under the same name.

Catherine has to leave New York behind urgently after she gets accused of murder. She has no idea why one of her former patients holds a grudge against her, however she has no choice but flee if she doesn't want to hang. She believes her best chance to disappear is in the west but her journey through the Colorado prairie is paved with danger. She has to build her life from zero again in no man's land among people she is not sure she can trust, bearing the stigma of a woman who practices what was considered a man's profession at the time.

For me the strongest quality in Sawbones was the plot. Although it took some time, I got to the point where I was genuinely interested what happens next. Ms Lenhardt is good at building up tension and she doesn't shy away from major plot twists either – when I was only a few chapters in, the story took a totally different course than I thought it would in the beginning. First I wasn't sure if I liked the new situation but soon I became immersed and couldn't stop guessing what would come next.

The second best component I'd say was the romance. Captain Kindle, the love interest, is a very entertaining flirt. He strongly reminded me of Rhett Butler from Gone With the Wind (that's a compliment in my book). I liked that his and Laura's (Catherine's) acquaintance actually went back to the war and yet they started out as strangers to each other.

Catherine, the heroine, however was a character I simply couldn't like. Her being a representation of an issue – the way men treated (smart) women at the time – stole away any possiblity of character development. She is without flaw from the beginning and she mainly does what she was created to do: comes up with snarky remarks whenever she is verbally attacked (mostly by men). Don't get me wrong, I like her sharp tongue, but I think the situations when she has to use it are unnecessarily numerous in the book. I hope I'll see some changes later so I can grow to like her in the sequels to come.

The villain was mysterious in the first half of the novel and he had a decent backstory, which I appreciated. I also liked most of the side-characters and the way life in the fort was described.

I'd like to continue on with the series because of the gripping plot. I don't read enough western anyway, which is a shame...

Goodreads | Amazon

Stacking the Shelves #8

 

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews that makes it possible to share with other bookworms what books you added to your shelves – physical or virtual – during the week.

This week I had three new additions to my e-library. 

ARCs

Title: Nothing But Sky

Author: Amy Trueblood

Source: NetGalley

Goodreads

This book is set in the 1920s and is about female wing walkers, what's more to ask? There is nothing better than reading about daring women. I keep my fingers crossed that Amelia Earhart appears in this story somehow. That would be cool.

Title: The Last Sun (The Tarot Sequence #1)

Author: K. D. Edwards

Source: Edelweiss

Goodreads

This is the very first time I got approved through Edelweiss, so this book is somewhat special to me. 

The Last Sun is an LGBTQ fantasy set in New Atlantis. It's a debut novel which makes me even more excited for it. The author took the Tarot deck as inspiration when writing the book, I'm curious how the cards or their meanings fit in the story.

Freebie:

Title: Ghost Hand (The PSS Chronicles #1)

Author: Ripley Patton

Source: Amazon

Goodreads

Ghost Hand's protagonist is Olivia, a goth girl, who was born with a rare birth defect: her hand is made of ethereal energy, not flesh and blood. 

Her life is not easy, it's hard for her to blend in, but she manages to keep things together until one day she loses control over her own hand and she has to run for her life.

What books did you put your hands on this week? Let me know in a comment below!

Book Beginnings on Friday and the Friday 56 #7

Book Beginnings on Friday and The Friday 56 are weekly memes hosted by Rose City Reader and Freda's Voice.

Rules: 

Book Beginnings: Share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. 

The Friday 56: Grab a book, turn to page 56 or 56% in you eReader. Find any sentence (not spoilery) and reflect on it if you want.

The book I chose for this week is:

Song of Blood & Stone

(Earthsinger Chronicles #1)

by L. Penelope

Synopsis:

Orphaned and alone, Jasminda lives in a land where cold whispers of invasion and war linger on the wind. Jasminda herself is an outcast in her homeland of Elsira, where her gift of Earthsong is feared. When ruthless soldiers seek refuge in her isolated cabin, they bring with them a captive--an injured spy who threatens to steal her heart.

Jack's mission behind enemy lines to prove that the Mantle between Elsira and Lagrimar is about to fall nearly cost him his life, but he is saved by the healing Song of a mysterious young woman. Now he must do whatever it takes to save Elsira and its people from the True Father and he needs Jasminda's Earthsong to do it. They escape their vicious captors and together embark on a perilous journey to save Elsira and to uncover the secrets of The Queen Who Sleeps.

Thrust into a hostile society, Jasminda and Jack must rely on one another even as secrets jeopardize their bond. As an ancient evil gains power, Jasminda races to unlock a mystery that promises salvation.

The fates of two nations hang in thebalance as Jasminda and Jack must choose between love and duty to fulfill their destinies and end the war.

Book Beginning:

 In the beginning, there was silence.

The book starts with an origin tale that describes how the world was created. I loved that bit.

The Friday 56:

"Jasminda, don't mistake me. You are like nothing I ever thought possible. Like no one else I have ever met. And I am glad of it. You are remarkable."

Jack is a caring guy. He admires Jasminda a lot, which I find adorable.

 

Song of Blood & Stone gets published on May 1st. I joined the blog tour therefore my review will arrive sometime around the end of April. I'm enjoying this novel immensely so far.

Do you think you would like Song of Blood & Stone? 

Please feel free to leave your Friday post links below.

WWW Wednesday #7

 

 

And if it's Wednesday, it's WWW day.

 

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words. 

WWW stands for three questions:

 

 

What are you currently reading?

Song of Blood & Stone

(Earthsinger Chronicles #1)

by L. Penelope

Synopsis:

Orphaned and alone, Jasminda lives in a land where cold whispers of invasion and war linger on the wind. Jasminda herself is an outcast in her homeland of Elsira, where her gift of Earthsong is feared. When ruthless soldiers seek refuge in her isolated cabin, they bring with them a captive--an injured spy who threatens to steal her heart.

Jack's mission behind enemy lines to prove that the Mantle between Elsira and Lagrimar is about to fall nearly cost him his life, but he is saved by the healing Song of a mysterious young woman. Now he must do whatever it takes to save Elsira and its people from the True Father and he needs Jasminda's Earthsong to do it. They escape their vicious captors and together embark on a perilous journey to save Elsira and to uncover the secrets of The Queen Who Sleeps.

Thrust into a hostile society, Jasminda and Jack must rely on one another even as secrets jeopardize their bond. As an ancient evil gains power, Jasminda races to unlock a mystery that promises salvation.

The fates of two nations hang in thebalance as Jasminda and Jack must choose between love and duty to fulfill their destinies and end the war.


 I received this book via NetGalley. So far my favourite thing about it is that every chapter starts with a little excerpt from a folktale. I believe it was a wonderful idea from the author.


What did you recently finish reading?

Sawbones
(Sawbones #1)
by Melissa Lenhardt

My review will be up in a few days!


What do you think you'll read next?

The Red Tent
by Anita Diamant

Synopsis:

Her name is Dinah. In the Bible, her life is only hinted at in a brief and violent detour within the more familiar chapters of the Book of Genesis that are about her father, Jacob, and his dozen sons. Told in Dinah's voice, this novel reveals the traditions and turmoils of ancient womanhood--the world of the red tent. It begins with the story of her mothers--Leah, Rachel, Zilpah, and Bilhah--the four wives of Jacob. They love Dinah and give her gifts that sustain her through a hard-working youth, a calling to midwifery, and a new home in a foreign land. Dinah's story reaches out from a remarkable period of early history and creates an intimate connection with the past. Deeply affecting, The Red Tent combines rich storytelling with a valuable achievement in modern fiction: a new view of biblical women's society.

A Bible story told through the eyes of a woman – I think I'm in for a treat. The book has a very high rating on Goodreads too so I have high expectations.


What are you reading this week? Don't forget to leave a link to your WWW post below, I'd love to read it!

For The Love of Fish! - Oscars 2018 + Book Adaptation tag

 Happy Tuesday, Friends!

Yesterday I was walking around like a zombie thanks to lack of sleep but hey, Oscars night is Oscars night... It's once a year and it's an event that cannot be missed by film lovers like me.

Before I write anything else congratulations are due to all the winners. We had amazing productions competing with each other this year too, bless all the people who work on such wonderful movies each year.

My award highlights (I have two):

• Gary Oldman got his well-deserved Oscar at last! No one can doubt that the man has talent. Well done, Sir!

• The Shape of Water won best picture. I didn't see that coming to tell you guys the truth but I was glad when they announced the winner. It is a unique tale told in a very elegant  and charming manner.

About the gala:

 

If I want to be honest it wasn't worth it to stay up all night for the show. I felt they didn't go the extra mile to make the 90th Academy Awards special, it was quite boring actually. They should have had extra performances planned or at least something out of the ordinary that would have made the 90th year stand out.

  Something that put a smile on my face despite everything:
It was sooo good to see Christopher Plummer at the gala (it's good to see him every year). He is precious to my heart.

Since it was Oscars week I thought to honour the occasion I'd include a tag in this post, one that has to do with movies (and, naturally, with books). I found the original on The Book Nut.

The Book Adaptation Tag: 

1. What is the last book adaptation movie you saw?

Murder on the Orient Express (2017). I guess it is an unpopular opinion but I liked it. Although I'm a bit biased considering Sir Ken Branagh was involved in this production and I'm convinced that everything he does is golden...

2. What movie are you most excited for?

Ophelia (2018). I'm a sucker for Shakespeare adaptations and I loved the book.

3. Which upcoming movie will you definitely NOT see?

Does the third Fifty Shades of Grey count as upcoming? It's still in the cinemas so I'll pretend it does. That one is a definite miss for me.

4. Which book movie would you NEVER watch again?

Matilda. I know it sounds stupid but the cake-eating scene shocked me as a child and I've been avoiding the film ever since. I know many bookworms love it, I'm an exception...

5. Is there a movie you saw that made you want to read the book if you hadn't/haven't yet?

 

There were several. Jane Eyre (2011) with Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender is a good example. I'd wanted to read Jane Eyre before watching the film but the movie made me actually pick it up.

6. Conversely, is there a movie that made you never want to read the book?

I can't think of one right now.

7. Name an adaptation that has almost nothing to do with the book it is supposedly based on.

Less Than Zero (1987). It has something to do with the book (it portrays the life of young people in LA in the 80s, the excessive drug and alcohol consuming etc.), however they made up a plot for the movie that didn't exist in the book.

8. Have you ever left the theatre during a movie adaptation because it was so bad?

9. Do you prefer to watch the movie or read the book first?

The book always comes first (or at least I wish I always had time to read the book first...)

10. How do you feel about movie adaptations that age characters up? (ex. characters that are in middle-school, but in the movies they are 18)

I'm okay with that as long as it doesn't result in fundamental changes in the original story.

11. Do you get angry when the actors don't look like you thought the characters looked?

It's a bit annoying when the characters' appearance is very unlike how they were described in the book, yes. What makes me angry is if they change the character's skin colour in the film.

 

12. Is there a movie you liked better than its book?

The English Patient (1996). I enjoyed the book too, but the film made a bigger impression on me.

 

13. Name a book that you'd like to see as a movie.

Fluency (Confluence #1) by Jennifer Foehner Wells! A group of people go on an expedition to explore an abandoned alien ship in space. It would make an excellent movie.

Tag you are it! I tag each and every one of you this time. Let me know if you do the tag so I can go and comment on your post!

What were your favourite moments from this year's Academy Award Ceremony? Let me know in a comment below!

Goodreads Monday #8

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren @ Lauren’s Page Turners. To participate, choose a random book from your TBR and show it off! Don’t forget to link back to Lauren’s Page Turners and link up to the inlinkz so others can see what you picked!

 The thing about me is, I am an enthusiastic admirer of Vincent Van Gogh. You could catch me staring at his paintings for hours at the National Gallery in London. It is truly magical to be in the presence of his works.

A few years ago I read a fictional recollection of his last days – The Last Van Gogh by Alyson Richman – that I unfortunately didn't like very much. When one day I saw the book below in a bookshop, I realised I'm might not yet ready to give up on fictional Van Gogh novels. I'm determined to own a copy of Let Me Tell You About a Man I Knew someday in the future, and hopefully I'll love it!

Let Me Tell You About a Man I Knew

by Susan Fletcher

 

Synopsis:

No one knows the name of 'the painter' who comes to the asylum in St Remy in the south of France, but they see his wild, red hair and news of his savaged ear soon circulates in the village and comes to the notice of the wife of the asylum's doctor. She feels herself drawn to him and learns that his presence is disturbing - and not just to her either. But back she goes - again and again. Until she is banned, but still she makes her way over the wall, through the garden to talk to this apparently mad and passionate man. And the consequences of her indiscretion, of what van Gogh comes to mean to her, of what it will do to her marriage, her life once she has touched danger and passion will have far reaching effects - both surprisingly catastrophic and tender.

Do you think you'd like this novel? What book did you feature in you Goodreads Monday post?

Review - The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Title: The Kite Runner

Author: Khaled Hosseini

Synopsis:

Amir is the son of a wealthy Kabul merchant, a member of the ruling caste of Pashtuns. Hassan, his servant and constant companion, is a Hazara, a despised and impoverished caste. Their uncommon bond is torn by Amir's choice to abandon his friend amidst the increasing ethnic, religious, and political tensions of the dying years of the Afghan monarchy, wrenching them far apart. But so strong is the bond between the two boys that Amir journeys back to a distant world, to try to right past wrongs against the only true friend he ever had.

The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father’s servant, The Kite Runner is a beautifully crafted novel set in a country that is in the process of being destroyed. It is about the power of reading, the price of betrayal, and the possibility of redemption; and an exploration of the power of fathers over sons—their love, their sacrifices, their lies.

A sweeping story of family, love, and friendship told against the devastating backdrop of the history of Afghanistan over the last thirty years, The Kite Runner is an unusual and powerful novel that has become a beloved, one-of-a-kind classic.

My Thoughts:

It's not easy to write about this book, just as sometimes it wasn't easy reading it. Not because The Kite Runner is a bad book – on the contrary; it is an exceptional piece of literature – rather because the story of Amir and Hassan inlvolves so much tragedy that sometimes I had to put the book down and give myself some time to overcome the emotions it evoked in me.

However, when I wasn't having one of my emotional breaks I read it in big chunks. Mr. Hosseini's writing is definitely the most beautiful of all the authors' I've read this year so far. It's lyrical and touches your soul at the right times. He is amazing at storytelling, I felt I was really involved in the happenings and Amir and Hassan were like friends to me; I cared about them, I wanted to know their fate.

Amir is our narrator. His whole life story unfolds in front of us, from the moment he was born to present day. In the center of his reminiscense there is a boy, Hassan, the son of Ali, his father's slave. Hassan and Amir had an idyllic childhood in Kabul, they did most things together and they were friends despite the difference of their social status.

Then one day something happened to Hassan that shook both of their worlds. Amir blamed himself, since he could have prevented the whole thing and his guilt drove him to make a few terrible decisions that made Hassan disappear from his life.

When the Russians march into Afghanistan Amir and Baba (his father, whose attention he'd always fought for) migrate to America to start a new life. But it's only a matter of time till the past catches up with Amir. When a phone call comes from Rahim Khan, Baba's best friend, Amir learns that at last he has a chance 'to be good again'. And so he flies to Pakistan and visits the ailing Rahim Khan to hear news about Hassan and to make past mistakes right.

Afghanistan's recent history gets animated inside your head while you're spending time with this novel. The difference between the Afghanistan of Amir's early years and the war-ridden country he finds when he returns is striking. It was very sad to read about the destruction that ensued first by the hands of the Russians, then by the Taliban.

Judging by all the things I have told you so far of The Kite Runner you probably think there is not an ounce of happiness squeezed into this tale of friendship and ordeal. It is not true. There are brilliant moments that shadow the sorrowful events even if shortly. Love is a powerful motivator in the story; the love of a loyal friend, the love of a father, the love of a son – it gives strength to the characters to move on and change their ways if necessary. There are so many examples to learn from, so many lessons The Kite Runner gives us. I will not forget this book easily.

Goodreads | Amazon