Stable by Kate Gemma

3.5 stars rounded up
TW: kidnap/abduction, minor incidences of torture

Stable is the story of four childhood best friends who as tweens were kidnapped and held captive for three days before being rescued. But it's also the story of the ties that bind us together and what lengths we'll go to to keep our friends safe.

Both Maura and Charlie were raised by a kindly neighborhood grandma, who eventually takes in each of the children, thus tightening their bonds. At the age of 12 or so the four kids were kidnapped when they ran into an abandoned barn for cover from a storm. There they were kept for three days with minimal water and food and when two of the four tried to escape, at different times, they were tortured. Eventually, they are rescued by the town cop and the property owner is sent to prison for the crimes.

Years later, when the children have grown and gone their separate ways, they are called back to town when one of them dies. Mystery surrounds the death and before long there is a disappearance. Maura, our protagonist, is hell-bent on finding her friend and joins the new sheriff in that task.

I enjoyed the story very much and the characters were well fleshed out. Maura is most memorable because she's written as a tough as nails, not gonna take any shit from anyone kind of gal. She sticks up for her guy friends when the sheriff's son, Boyd, bullies them. I loved that about her then, and I loved that she didn't change as an adult.

I subtracted a star because I had the whodunit figured out very quickly and I wasn't terribly fond of the epilogue. Not every story needs to be tidied up so nicely at the end, in my opinion.

Many thanks to the author and Reedsy/Discovery for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Buy this book here. Read this review on Goodreads.

Little House on the Wasteland By Laura Ingalls-Wei

It's not often that I refer to a post-apocalyptic book as a "joy" to read because, well, the subject matter usually isn't that joyful, but it's the perfect descriptor here. Little House on the Wasteland is the story of Laura and her family and their desire to find some semblance of peace at a time when it's every man for himself.

We aren't privy to the year this story takes place or what caused the Great Bust that pulled the U.S. apart financially and physically, but we do know one thing: a plague (or "ague" as our characters refer to it) has wreaked havoc on the world and the things we take for granted in 2020 are no longer available. There is no electricity. No running water. No cars, trucks, buses, manufacturing, restaurants, newspapers. Even buildings and roads have gone by the wayside. It is what it is.

But you have little Laura, her two sisters and ma and pa eking out an existence in what was once Wisconsin. Until they can't any longer. And that's when they take to the (former) road in search of a new life in the wastelands, what once was the midwest.

This is the story of that journey and the trials and tribulations the family faces on that long trip. They must take shelter in places you and I wouldn't dream of. They must stand up to villains and those exhibiting signs of the illness. They must make friends with those they might not otherwise interact with and trust in people who might otherwise be untrustworthy.

When I call this story a joy, I mean that while the subject matter is tough and heavy and mostly not pretty, the writing is simply superb. The story elements are a delight and the character development deep and most worthy of something with the "Laura Ingalls" name attached. Our storyteller's cleverness with spelling and pronunciation made me laugh out loud at times, and I adored the song choices that dotted the pages of this read. I'd love to see a sequel.

Many thanks to Reedsy/Discovery for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Little House on the Wasteland is available here. See this review on Goodreads.

Who doesn't love books?

Did you know that more than 675 million print books were sold in the U.S. in 2018? U.S. book publishing is a $25.82 billion industry, and 65 percent of U.S. consumers read at least one book a year.

But for those of us who prefer fewer numbers, here's a stat for you: I LOVE books! What's not to like about opening a new book? The sound of a new spine cracking, the smell of newly-printed pages, the knowledge that this book will consume your free time for the next day, week, month. Even e-books hold a special place in our hearts, with the ability to take and read them anywhere, highlight special words or passages, write notes in the "margins" and easily refer back to whenever we feel the need.

My favorite genres are psychological thrillers, apocalyptic and dystopian, but often I find myself reading book club favs, the occasional memoir/biography and classics. My very favorite books include To Kill a Mockingbird, anything by Margaret Atwood and the Harry Potter series, to name a few. 

I've chosen to start this blog as a place to park my reviews and share notes on books in general. And my hope is that one or two of you will enjoy my musings enough to pick up a book or three as a result.

I review Advance Reader Copies (ARCs) for NetGalley, BookSirens and Reedsy. I also review at Goodreads, Amazon and now and then on Barnes and Noble.

Thanks for popping in and enjoy!