[Review] Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult

Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult 
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Publishing Date: October 14, 2014
Format: hardcover, ARC
416 Pages
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

Synopsis 

For more than a decade, Jenna Metcalf has never stopped thinking about her mother, Alice, who mysteriously disappeared in the wake of a tragic accident. Refusing to believe that she would be abandoned as a young child, Jenna searches for her mother regularly online and pores over the pages of Alice’s old journals. A scientist who studied grief among elephants, Alice wrote mostly of her research among the animals she loved, yet Jenna hopes the entries will provide a clue to her mother’s whereabouts.

Desperate to find the truth, Jenna enlists two unlikely allies in her quest. The first is Serenity Jones, a psychic who rose to fame finding missing persons—only to later doubt her gifts. The second is Virgil Stanhope, a jaded private detective who originally investigated Alice’s case along with the strange, possibly linked death of one of her colleagues. As the three work together to uncover what happened to Alice, they realize that in asking hard questions, they’ll have to face even harder answers.

As Jenna’s memories dovetail with the events in her mother’s journals, the story races to a mesmerizing finish.

My Review

No matter what Jodi Picoult writes, I absolutely love it! Leaving Time is another great book that I couldn't put down. Before I read this, I read Where There's Smoke, a short story about one of the main characters in this story. It really helped set this book up for being a fun and interesting read. 

I liked Jenna as a character; she is searching so hard to find the truth about her mother and looks for help in two unlikely people who soon become her friends. Virgil is a grumpy old man who doesn't seem to be happy with anything in life, and Serenity has lost her belief in herself and struggles to get it back. 

This story wasn't what I was really expecting. To be honest, I didn't know too much about it before I started reading, just that Picoult had written it and there were elephants involved. That was more than enough for me to want to read it! And reading this made me so fascinated by elephants! I knew next to nothing about them when I started, but while reading this book, I found myself looking up other facts about them and even looking up the elephant sanctuary in Tennessee, which I was excited to see is a real place! 

This book kept me hooked until the very end. I wanted to know what happened to Alice, the staff of their sanctuary, Jenna, Virgil and Serenity. I certainly wasn't expecting what happened at the end. It completely took me by surprise, but I liked it! So different than what I thought was going to happen, which is one of my favorite things about books and reading: I'm always finding a new way to look at things and never quite know what to expect at the end of stories (:

Favorite Quote

"...when you're a point, all you see is the point. When you're a line, all you see is the line and the point. When you're in three dimensions, you see three dimensions and lines and points. Just because we can't see a fourth dimensions doesn't mean it doesn't exist. It just means we haven't reached it yet." pg 145

Prequels

                                         review

Stacking the Shelves 10.4.14

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga @ Tynga's Reviews. Its all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, whether physical or virtual books. This means you can include books you buy in physical stores or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts, and of course, ebooks! Tynga posts this meme on Saturdays, but you can post on any day that works best for you! Check out the guidelines by visiting Tynga's blog! 

Review Copy

I was thrilled when I came home from work one day to this beauty on my steps! I'm such a big fan of Jodi Picoult's and I can't wait to read this next book of hers! I just finished reading Where There's Smoke, which features a character that appears in this novel. I can't wait to start and love getting review books at my door! In all honesty, I forgot I asked for this copy, but so glad I did (:

 

[Review] Where There's Smoke by Jodi Picoult

Where There's Smoke by Jodi Picoult
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Publishing Date: Mar. 19, 2014
Format: ebook, purchased
40 Pages
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

Synopsis 

Even as a child, Serenity Jones knew she possessed unusual psychic gifts. Now, decades later, she’s an acclaimed medium and host of her own widely viewed TV show, where she delivers messages to the living from loved ones who have passed. Lately, though, her efforts to boost ratings and garner fame have compromised her clairvoyant instincts. When Serenity books a young war widow to appear as a guest, the episode quickly unravels, stirring up a troubling controversy. And as she tries to undo the damage—to both her reputation and her show—Serenity finds that pride comes at a high price.

My Review 

I first downloaded this book because it was free on Kindle and because its written by Jodi Picoult. I'm a huge fan of hers and have read almost everything she's written. I didn't know what it was about at first, but when I found out it the main character, Serenity, appears in her next book, I knew I had to read it. 

This is a short story, and while I don't often read them, I find that I enjoy them. I still think they're way too short (though I suppose that fits the name!).  I'm not sure what I believe about psychics or mediums, but I found Serenity's story fascinating. I want to read more about her and her 'gift' and how she comes into play in Picoult's new novel, Leaving Time. While I certainly don't think this is Picoult's greatest work, I think it has a lot of potential to develop into something great in Leaving Time! 

[Review] Leaving Home: Short Pieces by Jodi Picoult

Leaving Home: Short Pieces by Jodi Picoult
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Publishing Date: Oct 1, 2011
Format: audio, library
2 CDs
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N

Synopsis 

Leaving Home brings together three, previously published short pieces, each dealing with a variation on the theme of leaving home. The first, “Weights and Measures,” deals with the tragic loss of a child; the second is a non-fiction letter Picoult wrote to her eldest son as he left for college; and, “Ritz” tells the story of a mother who takes the vacation all mothers need sometime.

My Review

I found this Audio CD at the local library and couldn't pass it up! I'm a huge Jodi Picoult fan and have read almost everything she's written (I just bought Lone Wolf, so after that, it will be everything :)). The first short piece in this set was a letter she wrote to her son when he left for college. I really liked this letter; it was so real. I don't know whether her son appreciated it as much when he first got it, but I think as time goes on, he'll treasure that letter. The great thing about it being published is that he'll always have a copy of it.

The second story was Weight and Measures, which deals with the loss of a child. The couple in this story is struggling so much to continue on with day-to-day living. Both parents are dealing with the loss in different ways, and don't completely understand or relate to how the other parent is coping. I wish this story had been longer because I felt like it was just cut off. I also wish I knew more about what happened to the daughter, because it was a little vague. But overall, I still liked it.

The third story, Ritz, was probably my favorite of these three. Its about a mom who takes a vacation from her family. When she does this, her family has to learn to cope without their rock that's holding the family together and keeps everything moving. I didn't like how she went about taking this vacation, but I think she got her point across to her family. She needed to remember who she was as a person, other than a mom and a wife.

Throwback Thursday 2.6.14

Throwback Thursday is a bookish meme hosted every two weeks by Christina @Booksane and Stephanie @Bookfever where you feature books that you've read in the past but are still crazy about. It could be a book you read as a child and still remember and love or maybe just a book that you haven't read in a long time and want to show your love for.Each week we'll be featuring a new random question to answer!

Book pick this week: 

I read this a couple years ago when it first came out and loved it! I would really like to re-read some of Jodi Picoult's books because I love them all so much but haven't read any in a while. It's probably going to be between this one and The Pact for my next re-read. 

Synopsis

Things break all the time.
Day breaks, waves break, voices break.
Promises break.
Hearts break.

Every expectant parent will tell you that they don't want a perfect baby, just a healthy one. Charlotte and Sean O'Keefe would have asked for a healthy baby, too, if they'd been given the choice. Instead, their lives are made up of sleepless nights, mounting bills, the pitying stares of "luckier" parents, and maybe worst of all, the what-ifs. What if their child had been born healthy? But it's all worth it because Willow is, well, funny as it seems, perfect. She's smart as a whip, on her way to being as pretty as her mother, kind, brave, and for a five-year-old an unexpectedly deep source of wisdom. Willow is Willow, in sickness and in health. 

Everything changes, though, after a series of events forces Charlotte and her husband to confront the most serious what-ifs of all. What if Charlotte should have known earlier of Willow's illness? What if things could have been different? What if their beloved Willow had never been born? To do Willow justice, Charlotte must ask herself these questions and one more. What constitutes a valuable life? 

Emotionally riveting and profoundly moving, Handle with Care brings us into the heart of a family bound by an incredible burden, a desperate will to keep their ties from breaking, and, ultimately, a powerful capacity for love. Written with the grace and wisdom she's become famous for, beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult offers us an unforgettable novel about the fragility of life and the lengths we will go to protect it.

Question: Who are your top 5 favorite authors? 

(in no particular order)

1. Nicholas Sparks - He is such a talented writer! I read everything he writes, and always love it! I love that a guy can write such amazing love stories.

2. James Patterson - Up until about two years ago, I never read anything by Patterson. Now, I can't get enough of his work! Whether its the mysteries or romances, they're so good! 

3. Jodi Picoult - Words can't describe how much I love her books and the issues she tackles. I think its incredibly brave to take on these issues because some are so controversial. But I think everything she writes is amazing. The Pact got me hooked and I really need to reread it again soon. 

4. Erin Morgenstern - The Night Circus is one of my absolute favorite books ever. Its the only thing she's published so far, but I can't wait to see what she has for the future!

5. Sandra Brown - one of the first authors (other than JK Rowling and HP) that got me hooked on reading. I used to gobble up her romance novels like they were chocolate. I still love all of her work and I think her romantic suspense novels are equally as wonderful!




What about you? Do you have a book you read a while ago, but really love it, and want to showcase it?!

Top Ten Tuesday 2.4.14

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the The Broke and the Bookish. Every week she posts an idea for a 'Top Ten' list relating to books, and encourages other book bloggers to respond and participate. All the details are listed on her site. 

This week's topic: Top ten books that will make you cry

1. The Rescue

I've read this book so many times, and it never fails to make me cry! I'm a huge Nicholas Sparks fan, so pretty much anything that he writes, I read, and I cry. 

2. My Sister's Keeper, Handle With Care, Nineteen Minutes

Anything written by Jodi Picoult makes me cry. She writes such beautiful stories that tug at your heartstrings. 

3. Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas

Pretty sure I cried throughout this whole book! I love that James Patterson can write beautiful love stories and also edge-of-your-seat thrillers. 

4. A Child Called It 

For anyone who hasn't read this, it will definitely be a book to make you cry! I cannot get over the things this child was put through! My heart just breaks every time I think about this book and child abuse. 

5. Anything by Lurlene McDaniel

I used to read her books constantly when I was younger, but I haven't read any of them lately. I do remember, however, that these books ALWAYS made me cry! Especially the series above, the Angels Trilogy. 

  

6. Harry Potter Series

Of course I can't forget this series! Such amazing books, and really kick-started my love of reading! These last two books in particular made me cry a lot.

Not quite ten listed, but if you count all Jodi Picoult books and all Nicholas Sparks books... well, then I'm well over 10 (: 

[Review] The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult

The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult 
Publisher: Atria Books
Publishing Date: 2013
460 Pages
Format: Hardcover, purchased

Synopsis 

Some stories live forever....

Sage Singer is a baker. She works through the night, preparing the day's breads and pastries, trying to escape a reality of loneliness, bad memories, and the shadow of her mother's death. When Josef Weber, an elderly man in Sage's grief support group, begins stopping by the bakery, they strike up an unlikely friendship. Despite their differences, they see in each other the hidden scars that others can't, and they become companions.

Everything changes on the day that Josef confesses a long-buried and shameful secret - one that nobody else in town would ever suspect - and asks Sage for an extraordinary favor. If she says yes, she faces not only moral repercussions, but potentially legal ones as well.  With her own identity suddenly challenged, and the integrity of the closest friend she's ever had clouded, Sage begins to question the assumptions and expectations she's made about her life and her family. When does a moral choice become a moral imperative? And where does one draw the line between punishment and justice, forgiveness and mercy?

In this searingly honest novel, Jodi Picoult gracefully explores the lengths we will go in order to protect our families and to keep the past from dictating the future.

My Review

Every time I pick up a Jodi Picoult novel, I know that I'm in for an amazing journey filled with incredibly tough issues, both moral and legal. Once again, her story sucked me and in wouldn't let go. Even after I finished the very last page, I sat thinking about it for a while. I even told my fiance that I needed to tell him about the story because I couldn't stop thinking about it! There are so many questions that I found myself asking after reading this. What would I have done? Do I believe people can change so much? Do some people deserve second chances? I don't know how to answer these questions. Sure, I have some thoughts on these questions, but then I think more deeply, and I become indecisive. Give me a new situation, and my views would probably change. I honestly don't know what I would have done if I were in Sage's situation. I know that I wouldn't have made one of her choices, but some of her others, I can't be sure. It's hard to really describe what I'm talking about without giving away much of the storyline, so for the readers of my review, I apologize. All I can say is go get yourself a copy of this book! If you haven't read anything by Jodi Picoult yet, this is a wonderful place to start. I guarantee you will be hooked on her stories! It was a difficult story to read, but so incredibly thought-provoking. I can't wait to share this book with my mom and friends. Then I can finally talk about what happened without spoiling it for people who haven't read it yet! Another amazing story written by Jodi Picoult!

Buy on Amazon