Giant's Bread by Mary Westmacott

 Started: 9/24/2021

Finished: 9/29/2021

Year: 1930

Pages: 329

Genre: Romance

Grade: B-

Reason for reading: bookcrossing.com book

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Vernon Deyre is a sensitive and brilliant musician, even a genius. But there is a high price to be paid for his talent, especially by his family and the two women in his life. His sheltered childhood in the home he loves has not prepared Vernon for the harsh reality of his adult years, and in order to write the great masterpiece of his life, he has to make a crucial decision with no time left to count the cost..."

Opinion: I think that this is the first romance that I read by Agatha Christie. Much prefer her mysteries. Karma got the characters that needed it.

good morning, monster by Catherine Gildiner

 Started: 9/19/2021

Finished: 9/24/2021

Year: 2019

Pages: 358

Genre: Psychology

Grade: B+

Reason for reading: goodreads.com giveaway

Type: ARC

Blurb (from Amazon): "In this fascinating narrative, therapist Catherine Gildiner’s presents five of what she calls her most heroic and memorable patients. Among them: a successful, first generation Chinese immigrant musician suffering sexual dysfunction; a young woman whose father abandoned her at age nine with her younger siblings in an isolated cottage in the depth of winter; and a glamorous workaholic whose narcissistic, negligent mother greeted her each morning of her childhood with "Good morning, Monster."

Each patient presents a mystery, one that will only be unpacked over years. They seek Gildiner's help to overcome an immediate challenge in their lives, but discover that the source of their suffering has been long buried.

As in such recent classics as The Glass Castle and Educated, each patient embodies self-reflection, stoicism, perseverance, and forgiveness as they work unflinchingly to face the truth. Gildiner's account of her journeys with them is moving, insightful, and sometimes very funny. Good Morning Monster offers an almost novelistic, behind-the-scenes look into the therapist's office, illustrating how the process can heal even the most unimaginable wounds."

Opinion: If you're a student or fan of true psychological insights about real people, then you will probably enjoy this book.  I don't agree with the length of therapy that these 5 people had because most therapies are meant to be short term-not years upon years-even though each person had overwhelming trauma that they had to recover from.

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

 Started: 9/19/2021

Finished: 9/19/2021

Year: 1982

Pages: 295

Genre: Literature

Grade: B-

Reason for reading: grabbed off TBR pile

Type: Mass Market Paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "The lives of two sisters--Nettie, a missionary in Africa, and Celie, a southern woman married to a man she hates--are revealed in a series of letters exchanged over thirty years"

Opinion: I loved the movie. The book seemed to be different than the movie-more makes me want to rewatch the movie and see how closely they follow each other.

Flesh by Richard Laymon

 Started: 9/17/2021

Finished: 9/19/2021

Year: 1988

Pages: 355

Genre: Horror

Grade: B

Reason for reading: booklender.com

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "No one in town has ever seen anything like it: a slimy, mobile tube of glistening yellow flesh with dull, staring eyes and an obscene, probing mouth. But the real horror is not what it looks like, or what it does when it invades your flesh—but what it makes you do to others."

Opinion: A fun horror book with lots of characters who eventually get tied together. If you have a good imagination, then you will get caught up in the horror and suspense.

3096 Days in Captivity by Natascha Kampusch

 Started: 9/16/2021

Finished: 9/17/2021

Year: 2010

Pages: 310

Genre: Autobiography

Grade: B+

Reason for reading: booklender.com

Type: mass market paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "On March 2, 1998, ten-year-old Natascha Kampusch was kidnapped, and found herself locked in a house that would be her home for the next eight years. She was starved, beaten, treated as a slave, and forced to work for her deranged captor. But she never forgot who she was-and she never gave up hope of returning to the world. This is her story."

Opinion: An interesting look inside a traumatic kidnapping. It is pretty amazing how Natascha survived.

Nathaniel by John Saul

 Started: 9/9/2021

Finished: 9/15/2021

Year: 1984

Pages: 343

Genre: Horror

Grade: B+

Reason for reading: booklender.com book

Type: mass market paperback

Blurb (from back cover): "For a hundred years, the people of Prairie Bend have whispered Nathaniel's name in wonder and fear. Some say he is a folktale, created to frighten children on cold winter nights. Some sear he is a terrifying spirit returned to avenge the past. But soon...very soon....some will learn that Nathaniel lives still-that he is darkly, horrifyingly real.

"Nathaniel-he is the voice that calls to young Michael Hall across the prairie night...the voice that draws the boy into the shadowy depths of the old, crumbling, forbidden barn...the changing, compelling voice he will follow faithfully beyond the edge of terror...."

Opinion: Been a while since I read a decent horror book. Full of decent suspense. I need to read more Saul books-I have always enjoyed them.

Private Duty by Faith Baldwin

 Started: 9/9/2021

Finished: DNF

Year: 1964

Pages: 256

Genre: Romance

Grade: F

Reason for reading: bookcrossing.com book

Type: paperback

Blurb (from back cover): "She was young and pretty and the world was hers. But all too quickly that world became overcrowded with attractive and persuasive men-

"One, a promising surgeon, who said he worked best with Carolyn at his side.

"Another, a young widower, who demanded her help....and her time.

"And a carefree bachelor who wouldn't let anyone but Carolyn nurse him through a grave illness.

"They all wanted Carolyn Cutler, the nurse, but only one loved Carolyn Cutler, the woman. Her problem was-which one?"

Opinion: Couldn't even get to page 50. Hard to follow and just blah

Real Men Knit by Kwana Jackson

 Started: 9/2/2021

Finished: 9/9/2021

Year: 2020

Pages: 319

Genre: Romance

Grade: B

Reason for reading: Goodreads.com giveaway

Type: ARC

Blurb (from back cover): "Jesse Strong is known for two things: his devotion to his adoptive mom, Mama Joy, and his reputation for breaking hears. When Mama Joy unexpectedly passes away, he and his brothers have different plans on what to do with Strong Knits, their neighborhood knitting store. Jesse wants to keep it open. His brothers want to tie off loose ends and close shop...

"Part-time shop employee Kerry Fuller has kept her crush on Jesse a secert. When she overhears his impassioned plea to his brother to keep the knitting shop open, she volunteers to help. Unlike Jesse, Kerry knows the 'knitty-gritty' of the business

"But the more time they spend together, the stronger the chemistry builds between them. Kerry, knowing Jesse's history, doesn't believe their relationship can last. But Jesse is determined to prove to her that he can be the man for her forever and always-after all, real men knit."

Opinion: A decent contemporary romance. Predictable but enjoyable nonetheless. Any fan of romance would probably enjoy this one.

A River for Gemma by Debra Whiting Alexander

 Started: 8/26/21

Finished: DNF

Year: 2021

Pages: 407

Genre: Literature

Grade: F

Reason for reading: Review for Reader Views

Type: Paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Miracles abound in Sugar Creek, a small-town nestled near the horse trails and hazelnut orchards of Oregon's lush countryside. It is here, where twenty-six-year old Gemma Porter lives a vibrant life chasing her dreams. But Gemma is underestimated by a world that pigeonholes her as 'intellectually disabled.' While the naysayers and bullies only see Gemma's limitations, her beloved grandmother sees the heart of a genius--and a soul of divination. When Gemma's longing to be a mother collides with her grandmother's hidden past, three generations of Porter women are put in peril. A harrowing adventure unfolds into a heroic quest to save their lives. As Gemma's bravery is tested, she will need to prove that regardless of age or intellect, a mother's love knows no bounds."

Opinion: This had a painfully slow pace. There was a mystery subplot going on but I couldn't even be interested enough to try to find out what it was all about because of the slow pace. Well written characters which was the book's saving grace.