"My Life on the Road" - Gloria Steinem

Hello fellow bibliophiles! We're halfway through the Clean Slate Read-a-thon, I hope you're keeping up! Today's review marks the third I finished this week for the challenge. My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem was a last minute change-up on my reading plan for the week. I had planned to read an ARC I had from Netgalley but forgot to get it downloaded and unfortunately, it was archived. Whoops! Then I heard about Emma Watson (aka Hermoine Granger)'s new book club on Goodreads and had to join in on that! (Details at the bottom) It just so happened that the first book, My Life on the Road, was published last year so I threw it in the challenge in place of the other. Thanks Emma!

Gloria Steinem—writer, activist, organizer, and one of the most inspiring leaders in the world—now tells a story she has never told before, a candid account of how her early years led her to live an on-the-road kind of life, traveling, listening to people, learning, and creating change. She reveals the story of her own growth in tandem with the growth of an ongoing movement for equality. This is the story at the heart of My Life on the Road.

What I wouldn't get to spend a day listening to her tell stories. I was hooked from the prelude. I started suggesting the book to others before I was even finished with the prelude! Gloria Steinem, you're a true force to be reckoned with. You made my soul ache even more for a wanderlust lifestyle. I want to travel more and learn more and meet all the incredible people you talk about who are smarter than I can ever imagine being! The book is very candid and simplistic; sometimes I didn't think it was always laid out in the best format or timeline of events, but I still hung on to every word. There were two sections that I enjoyed the most. Steinem telling stories from talking with cab drivers across the country and her section on political campaigns. And hold onto your hats for the last chapter about her friend Wilma. Oh my, oh my. Wilma Mankiller, I wish I could have known you even if it was just to shake your hand and say hello. Your concepts and thoughts are something I cannot even describe. 

Go read this book. Don't walk to get it, run. It's something that will lead to new thoughts and ideas, changes in our world. Steinem has been making waves and taking steps for years and years towards change. It's time to make a jump.

As always, feel free to share your thoughts, comments, or suggestions! I'd love to hear what you thought of the book! If you would like to check out Emma Watson's book club through Goodreads, CLICK HERE! Below is her description for the book club, Our Shared Shelf:

"As part of my work with UN Women, I have started reading as many books and essays about equality as I can get my hands on. There is so much amazing stuff out there! Funny, inspiring, sad, thought-provoking, empowering! I’ve been discovering so much that, at times, I’ve felt like my head was about to explode… I decided to start a Feminist book club, as I want to share what I’m learning and hear your thoughts too." -Emma Watson-

Happy reading fools :)

"The Alphabet House" - Jussi Adler-Olsen

Hello fellow bibliophiles! Today's book, unfortunately, falls under the dreaded "Did Not Finish" category. Sad sad day. Literary world you've let me down again :( I had high hopes for this book as I like the Department Q series that Alder-Olsen wrote. Not everything can be great, though. Check out the description and my thoughts below!

In the tradition of Alan Furst, the #1 international bestselling author delivers his first stand-alone novel, a psychological thriller set in World War II Nazi Germany and 1970s England

British pilots James Teasdale and Bryan Young have been chosen to conduct a special photo-reconnaissance mission near Dresden, Germany. Intelligence believes the Nazis are building new factories that could turn the tide of the war. When their plane is shot down, James and Bryan know they will be executed if captured. With an enemy patrol in pursuit, they manage to jump aboard a train reserved for senior SS soldiers wounded on the eastern front.

In a moment of desperation, they throw two patients off the train and take their places, hoping they can escape later. But their act is too convincing and they end up in the Alphabet House, a mental hospital located far behind enemy lines, where German doctors subject their patients to daily rounds of shock treatments and experimental drugs. The pilots’ only hope of survival is to fake insanity until the war ends, but their friendship and courage are put to the ultimate test when James and Bryan realize they aren’t the only ones in the Alphabet House feigning madness.

Millions of fans around the world—and in this country—know Adler-Olsen for his award-winning Department Q series. His first stand-alone, The Alphabet House, is the perfect introduction for those who have yet to discover his riveting work.

Doesn't that description sound riveting?! Ugh so disappointing. As I was struggling with the beginning of this book, I checked out Goodreads to see what others had said about it in the reviews. One idea stuck with me from their comments. This book has an amazing premise for a fantastic movie plot! There would be a lot of action, suspense, and all around pull on the heartstrings moments. Sadly as a book, though, it's just too much to process at once. A lot of names, places, things happening at a fast pace. A lot to keep track of and I only made a third of the way through. I tried. I gave it my best and multiple days. 

Tomorrow starts my "Clean Slate Read-a-Thon," hosted by Lost In Lit, Novel Ink, and Latte Nights! Be on the lookout for posts throughout the week as I plan to finish up 5 books I was unable to complete before the end of the year. As always, feel to share any thoughts, comments, or suggestions! 

Happy reading fools :) 

"A Beautiful Blue Death" - Charles Finch

Hello fellow bibliophiles! Today's book comes to you thanks to Netgalley! If you haven't checked out their site, do so. It's a great opportunity to get your hands on books before they are released and help review them for authors and publishers. Thanks Netgalley! I received this book a couple months ago and kept pushing it aside. So finally, I was able to sit down and finish it for you last night. I'll start by saying this, I only gave it 2 stars on Goodreads. It was a struggle to finish. The book seemed to have great potential based on its description!

On any given day in London, all Charles Lenox, Victorian gentleman and armchair explorer, wants to do is relax in his private study with a cup of tea, a roaring fire and a good book. But when his lifelong friend Lady Jane asks for his help, Lenox cannot resist another chance to unravel a mystery, even if it means trudging through the snow to her townhouse next door.

One of Jane's former servants, Prudence Smith, is dead -- an apparent suicide. But Lenox suspects something far more sinister: murder, by a rare and deadly poison. The house where the girl worked is full of suspects, and though Prudence dabbled with the hearts of more than a few men, Lenox is baffled by an elusive lack of motive in the girl's death.

When another body turns up during the London season's most fashionable ball, Lenox must untangle a web of loyalties and animosities. Was it jealousy that killed Prudence? Or was it something else entirely, something that Lenox alone can uncover before the killer strikes again -- disturbingly close to home?

This book had a Sherlock meets Clue vibe to it. You have Charles Lennox, amateur sleuth, aka Sherlock, and his band of merry men set about solving the mysterious death of Prudence Smith, a servant. The members of the house were all conveniently in the drawing-room together. Classic Clue case of whodunit. No one seems to remember anything. You have wax drops on the floor but a brand new candle. A bottle of poison on the desk but a different kind than that that killed the girl. Open windows, crates of gold, and mysterious characters all around. But following along with all of this was a sheer struggle. A  lot of information that was not relevant to the case was thrown in and went on for pages and pages, often causing me to get lost in the storyline of what was actually part of the murder case. A lot of historical facts were thrown in about random items and studies as well as random snippets where Finch would suddenly jump years ahead for no apparent reason and then backtrack to the scene at hand. Finch's writing is full of beautiful vocabulary, don't get me wrong, but he tries to be too clever. Following the end rationale for who committed the crime and why was excruciating! I was only intrigued to see out the end for a short period of time, never very suspenseful or had me sitting on the edge of my seat. Overall, there was just too much "other" filling up the pages. 

Thanks again to Netgalley for the opportunity to read the book. Unfortunately, not every book can knock you off your rocker. Alas, until next time literary world. I refuse to lose even an ounce of hope in your endless stories. As always, feel free to share any comments, suggestions or recommendations!

Happy reading fools :)