Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman

 

If you could make one simple choice that would change your life forever, would you?

Erin is a documentary filmmaker on the brink of a professional breakthrough, Mark a handsome investment banker with big plans. Passionately in love, they embark on a dream honeymoon to the tropical island of Bora Bora, where they enjoy the sun, the sand, and each other. Then, while scuba diving in the crystal blue sea, they find something in the water. . . .

Could the life of your dreams be the stuff of nightmares?

Suddenly the newlyweds must make a dangerous choice: to speak out or to protect their secret. After all, if no one else knows, who would be hurt? Their decision will trigger a devastating chain of events. . . .

Have you ever wondered how long it takes to dig a grave?

Wonder no longer. Catherine Steadman's enthralling voice shines throughout this spellbinding debut novel. With piercing insight and fascinating twists, Something in the Water challenges the reader to confront the hopes we desperately cling to, the ideals we're tempted to abandon, and the perfect lies we tell ourselves.

This book caught my attention from the very beginning in the intro when the author talks about how long it takes to bury a body.  I loved this book and trying to figure out how it was going to go and if they were going to get away with it or be caught. It makes me think of what I would do in that situation if this happened to me.

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes

 

From the author of Me Before You, set in Depression-era America, a breathtaking story of five extraordinary women and their remarkable journey through the mountains of Kentucky and beyond.

Alice Wright marries handsome American Bennett Van Cleve hoping to escape her stifling life in England. But small-town Kentucky quickly proves equally claustrophobic, especially living alongside her overbearing father-in-law. So when a call goes out for a team of women to deliver books as part of Eleanor Roosevelt’s new traveling library, Alice signs on enthusiastically.

The leader, and soon Alice’s greatest ally, is Margery, a smart-talking, self-sufficient woman who’s never asked a man’s permission for anything. They will be joined by three other singular women who become known as the Packhorse Librarians of Kentucky.

What happens to them–and to the men they love–becomes an unforgettable drama of loyalty, justice, humanity and passion. These heroic women refuse to be cowed by men or by convention. And though they face all kinds of dangers in a landscape that is at times breathtakingly beautiful, at others brutal, they’re committed to their job: bringing books to people who have never had any, arming them with facts that will change their lives.

Based on a true story rooted in America’s past, The Giver of Stars is unparalleled in its scope and epic in its storytelling. Funny, heartbreaking, enthralling, it is destined to become a modern classic–a richly rewarding novel of women’s friendship, of true love, and of what happens when we reach beyond our grasp for the great beyond.

I decided to read this because I had enjoyed other books by this author that I had really enjoyed. I really liked this storyline and and that characters.  I learned that these women represented actual women that were part of the Packhorse Library.  This story was good paced and kept me guessing as to how it would end. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery

 New adventures lie ahead as Anne Shirley packs her bags, waves good-bye to childhood, and heads for Redmond College. With her old friend Prissy Grant waiting in the bustling city of Kingsport and her frivolous new friend Philippa Gordon at her side, Anne tucks her memories of rural Avonlea away and discovers life on her own terms, filled with surprises . . . including a marriage proposal from the worst fellow imaginable, the sale of her very first story, and a tragedy that teaches her a painful lesson. But tears turn to laughter when Anne and her friends move into an old cottage and an ornery black cat steals her heart. Little does Anne know that handsome Gilbert Blythe wants to win her heart, too. Suddenly Anne must decide whether she's ready for love.

This story follows adventure as she continues to grow up and head to college.  In the movie Anne goes to Kingsport but teaches at a ladies college and also gets a marriage proposal. In the book she gets multiple proposals, even from a man she loves, but her heart doesn't feel that way. I wanted for Anne to to be happy and she seemed so happy with him, but then Gilbert Blythe plays a big part in her life as always and it made the storyline for this novel so much better with some recognizable quotes I had heard in the movies many times before. 

The Clutter Corpse by Simon Brett

 Ellen Curtis runs her own business helping people who are running out of space. As a declutterer, she is used to encountering all sorts of weird and wonderful objects in the course of her work. What she has never before encountered is a dead body.

When Ellen stumbles across the body of a young woman in an over-cluttered flat, suspicion immediately falls on the deceased homeowner's son, who has recently absconded from prison. No doubt Nate Ogden is guilty of many things – but is he really the killer? Discovering a link between the victim and her own past, Ellen sets out to uncover the truth. But where has her best friend disappeared to? And is Ellen really prepared for the shocking revelations to follow?

I really wanted to enjoy this book, but couldn't.  I think it was because when I listened to this audiobook it was the author, who was a man reading the role of a woman. I couldn't visualize the story without seeing an older, burly, women with frumpy clothing.   The book was slow going and it felt like it was going off in tangents and it was going through the story and characters. It was also hard to follow the characters and how they played into each other.    I had waited a while for this book because there were many in front of me waiting to read it, but I could have passed on this mystery novel.