My Cavalcade of the Week: Books I read this past week #melmoth #the girltheyleftbehind #theexesrevenge #weweremothers #sarahperry #roxanneveletzos #jojakeman #katiesise #harpercollins #atriabooks #berkleypublishing #littlea #netgalley #library @absltmom

  Welcome to Friday often thought, at least by me, as the best day of the week. I had some really good reads this week, some only somewhat mediocre and one that I gave up after only one hundred pages. So, here they are the books that gave me hours of pleasure this week.

 

 

So many many books have been written about the Second World War. They have written of the tragedy, the pathos, the lives lost and those who persevered after such a horrendous time in human history. The Girl They Left Behind was a wonderful historical fiction novel that brought me once again into the lives of those who survived the war only to be left with the remnants of its aftereffects.  From my review, “This was a most poignant story, one that showed how many were forced to survive after the war. It was a true test of survival and hope that someday things would be better although the bleakness is so well portrayed in this book. We all hope for the best in our lives and Natalia does as well. She adores her family and Victor, but hard choices need to be made so that she can move forward and find in herself and others her strength, her freedom, and those who love her.” Definitely recommended for all of us who truly love a book that elicits emotions and success after hard times.

 

 I was able to read Melmoth, a book I picked up in the library and was not planning to read quite yet. It called to me as books often do, and so I took the plunge and read this one. It was a book which could elicit a lot of self awareness. We all have done things we are not proud of and would never want others to know. However, what you can never avoid is our conscience and in this story Melmoth, the woman who will never die, follows some who are plagued by misdeeds. From my review “This was a mesmerizing tale, one that took on the mystical, the dark and brooding sense of a doomed person. Helen becomes us as we try to reflect on our lives and things that we have done for which there might be shame and regret. As the author reveals her characters, we see the depressing essence of our human nature, and the fact that perhaps some things can never be forgiven if we can’t at least forgive ourselves. For surely our conscience, our Melmoth, will always be with us just as Melmoth will always be with the world in which we dwell.“ 

   The Exes Revenge was a quick read about three women who unite to give the man who was in their lives his just desserts. The ladies, an improbable trio, have their work cut out, as the former, current, and soon to be husband is quite an adversary. From my review, “Three exes and a narcissistic man! Whatever could go wrong? Meet Ruby, ex number one, Imogen, soon to be ex number two, and Naomi, soon to maybe be wife number three. …and then there is Philip Rochester, the man who entranced them all. They all come together in the book: The Exes’ Revenge. and yes, there is a basement too!“

   We Were Mothers rounded out my week. It was a tale of people, women who hold secrets and the creepy men thy were tied to. It was a bit of a soap opera as so many details and comings and goings were thrown together and create a somewhat implausible story. It was a quick read and one that filled in a few hours of fluffy times. From my review,  “All in all this was not a bad read, just a mediocre one. Recommended to those who like the soap opera in their stories, or to those who like a quick bit of fluffy reading., and let’s face it at times we all need a bit of fluff in our reading at times.”

  I did start and got to page one hundred of You a book by Caroline Kepnes. I found between the use of four letter words ever so frequently, the sex, and mostly the stalker/voyeur concept of this book to be totally not my style of reading at all. So this book goes into my DNF pile never to be pick up again.

That was my week of reading. No five star books, but a few really good ones and one that I found totally deplorable. Hope all my book friends had a great week of reading things that delighted you and were awesome reads.