Please let me start this post off by saying that I have absolutely never been disappointed by anything written by this author, and she really didn't let me down this time. This book was engrossing and captivating in ways that I haven't felt from a book in a long time.
I've recently been reading quite a bit of historical fiction and I decided to take a break from that to read this book from Marisa de los Santos. Honestly I didn't even know this book existed until I went to Half Price Books with my love on Sunday and just happened across it. I bought it without even reading the back or really even looking at anything other than who wrote it. I very seldom do that with any authors. Needless to say, I started reading it that night. Unfortunately I had to put it down and go to sleep since I had to work yesterday. Although, the same considerations didn't come in to play last night as I stayed up much later than my old pregnant lady bed time in order to finish this book. Now it's time to get to the meat of the story.
Pen is an emotional being. A woman who believes in love and the powers of love to transcend all time. The story begins with Pen and her remembering the friends that she loved deeply in college and had separated from 6 years ago. She never forgot them, never stopped missing them, and always kept loving them. Pen is reeling through life sort of dealing with the death of her father, loving her wonderful daughter, and holding onto the love that she holds for her friends and family who are away from her.
Will is one of Pen's friends from college. He used to be a rage-filled person with a tendency to lash out at inanimate objects and relieve his frustrations and pressures that way. These days he is much more calm and writing children's stories in which he addresses his anger in a positive way and shows children how to equally learn to address their own. The past 6 years he has been living without his two best friends, but constantly living with their shadows. He loved them, he loves them still.
Cat is a wild and out, small woman with a mind of her own. She was the glue that held the trio together, and the moment she left it all fell apart.
After 6 years Pen and Will receive an e-mail from Cat asking for their help. But when they show up to the ten year reunion for their college they learn that things are not what they seem. After six years of separation they begin a healing process of their friendship and move through each others lives healing many things other than their friendship as well.
I was really greatly moved by the story and the depth of emotions that I felt for the characters. This is one of those books that you read, and then feel much better about things at the end. Once I was finished with the book I held a feeling of accomplishment and renewal in the way I see my family, my friends, and my love. It's great to read a story and feel much better about things. Perspective can make a really big difference.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
I've been gone a while, in case you didn't notice?!
But, here I am coming back to my books and to my blog feeling almost as if I never really walked away. In my previous posting frenzy I was actually not working and that allowed me a good deal more time to be online and to read and post everything to my heart's desire. In November I started a new job and the training and new hours definitely took away from my ability to be here with my not so avid readers.
It is nice to see that in my absence the blog has continued to gain a little bit of momentum from people stumbling across my blog, mostly from my Goodreads posts. I've kind of been stock piling reviews to write. I haven't been posting, but I can promise you that I haven't stopped reading. So, please prepare yourself for an onslaught of postings over the next week or so catching you all up on the books that I have been digesting.
Some great life events have happened for me as well lately. NickNack and I have set a date for the wedding and will be expecting our child in Mid-August as well. So it's been pretty hectic in that way as well. I'm not really sure there is much else that I'd like to say in this post except maybe that I am going to do my best to attempt to not walk away from my blog for several months again. Even if people don't read it much, I still really enjoy the feel and process of writing my thoughts about what I'm reading. I've always wanted to be involved in the book industry in some way. I'm fairly certain that unless I force myself to go back to school and move my entire family this is as close as I will ever get. I'm not complaining. It's good enough for me.
Happy Reading to you all!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)