jenbsbooks's reviews
2129 reviews

While I was immersed in this (kindle copy included in KU, audio in AudiblePlus ... I went with the audio but did refer to the text a bit) I was enjoying it. I'm often second guessing everything in "thrillers" and anticipating twists. This kept me guessing, I wasn't sure where it was heading. It kept my interest and I think it was a 4* as I wrapped up. But then I started to think back on it, and some of the inconsistencies and how unlikely so many of the events were ... I think I had to drop the stars some. SPOILER

that it was grandma all along, that she had snuck out of the hospital and killed Elsa ... really? That little Ellie managed to get away, get found by tweakers who took her far away and then left her at the one place that didn't have tv to notice the search for the missing child. How she was just "kept" by the family with no one questioning it ever.  That the police sergeant had been compromised/blackmailed and was hiding things. The whole crazy commune background. That this murder mystery could be to quickly solved after 24 years with just the uncovering of a backpack to jumpstart things. And how much money did the girls have to just drop everything and go off on their Scooby-do adventures? Unlimited funds and amazing access and discoveries ... 

  Usually I get this judgmental WHILE reading and it absolutely affects my view of the book. Here ... I was into it and liking it, until I actually stopped to think about things. So ... don't. Suspend disbelief and you'll likely enjoy it more ;) 

I liked the title tie-in.  There are a few different cover images, and I like them all. 

Written in 1st person/present tense, POV of Lily Jorgenson. Starting in 1998 when Lily was 12 years old.  In chapter 6, it jumps to the "present" ... 24 years later in the US (the first five chapters were in Australia).  Much later, there are some "journal entries" from Elsa (the mother) pre-1998 (1st person, past tense).  Just basic chronological chapters (64 of them) ... the few that had headers, that information isn't included in the Table of Contents (which would be helpful if looking for specific parts, rather than having to manually check each chapter (ie, chapter 40 is Elsa/Journal/1997).

As this has both American and Australian characters, both accents were used ... but there were times when there were odd (British? incorrect?) pronunciations from Lily (American) ... quietens, macrame was pronounced ma-com-ray.

No proFanity, some sex and domestic violence, and of course, a suspected murder/missing woman and child. 

As I started this up, it was just okay for me. As have been a couple others I've read by this author (and I have a couple more waiting for me. Several included in KU w/text and audio and I grabbed some physical copies at a library sale). As the story progressed though, I got pulled in, and had a few connections, and will think back on this one fondly. 

This had a "How I Met Your Mother" feel ... where Ted is talking to the two kids on the couch, about how he met their mother? Same thing(ish) ... addressing the reader as YOU, and that you being a child he's telling a story to. We readers are just along for the ride.   30 chapters. 1st person past tense. 

It's not really a spoiler as it's covered in the blurb - but our MC/narrator falls in love with his best friend's gal. Years pass, there are the struggles that everyone goes through. In a way ... this set up was depressing, which I think is why I struggled with the start. I can't say things really got a lot better, but there were just some connections and I really didn't know where the story was going to go. It wasn't predictable, which can keep the interest.

... one of the connections was "one of my colleagues, who was also in her forties, had recently had a seizure in the middle of a department store. A dozen tests later, it was determined she didn’t have epilepsy or a brain tumor. In fact, her doctors couldn’t find a single thing that was wrong with her. It was, they speculated, just one of those random things that mostly seemed to happen to people who were no longer young."  That's pretty much me ... except I'm a bit older, and have had two now. 

... other connections ... our MC mentions a "goal" of a 100mile bike ride (brings it up a couple times). Hubs is doing such a race next week.  Hubs had noted the word "preternatural" in a recent read we'd done together as very uncommon. I told him I see it a lot (but then I read paranormal). It was here in this text ... I had screenshot it and send it to him.   Per the title tie-in "I don’t care if lovers swear it to each other and the devout sling it around as a future reward for their faithfulness. As far as I’m concerned, forever is the worst long time. At least with adversity and illness, there’s a general idea of what to expect. We don’t know a damn thing about the uncharted horrors of eternity."  I definitely have some thoughts on "forever" and eternity that coincide.  And while this is all fiction, the MC brings up "Surely this recollection is somewhat inaccurate, but I suspect that there’s no such thing as absolute truth" which is something I struggle with in many non-fiction books. Again ... from this fictional feature "Every event is different to those who have lived it, those who have witnessed it, and those who only later read of it." Very good points to remember. 

This had some discussion questions at the end of the Kindle and physical book (not in audio). I don't know that these ones really prompted me to probe further, perhaps because I already had? 

Additional things to think about with health issues and end of life care ...

I went with the audio ... there was a tiny bit of music playing as the initial credits began. Tonight, by Pitball? Just instrumental (and I was seeing the scene from Pitch Perfect). This music did NOT extend to the narration, for which I was grateful. But it was a fun little "name that tune" moment. 

There were a few words that seemed to be mispronounced (I realize this can be regional, etc.) In chapter25 "until you fell asleep" it was "felled" (I rewound three times). Scootch was pronounced strangely (can't find it to review). "For all intents and purposes" was said four times ... not an uncommon phrase, but four times in a single book? I guess maybe it's just something our MC says/thinks. 

No proFanity and so little sex, and I hadn't really realized it had happened! ;)

I'll admit coming in, I'm probably a bit prejudiced ... I adored the Sarah Plain and Tall series by this author. This had a very similar feel, in the simple way the story is told, the connection to the characters, the feelings in evokes. I had cleaned out a bookshelf recently and found a physical copy of the book. There is no audio (it is in Kindle). One thing I note in audiobooks, is if a song is "sung" in the book, does the narrator sing it, or patter speak it? Here, I guess we won't know. There were several songs. 
 
There were many things I loved about this story. I found myself making quite a few notes, little things that could be topics of discussion (no plaid dress, the power of words/poetry, "I never fall" "You haven't fallen yet", "It doesn't get any better than excellent", BABY ... double meaning. Memories. What is right ...)

1st person (Larkin's POV)/ Past tense ... there was a little portion in italics before the different sections (four of them: Summer's End, Winter, Spring, Summer-10 Years Later), which were 3rd person. A wispy memory feel ... very effective. 17 chapters. Quick read ... even NOT in audio format.

I think there was a movie made, but I'm not sure it would do it justice (although the movie version of Sarah Plain and Tall did ...)

For only being 150 pages, this took me a long time to get through. I'm an audiobook gal, and this didn't have audio. I read it with my eyes ... and while I liked this, my eyes kept closing (I guess as I'd generally wait until end of day). 

I struggled with the start - it didn't really pull me in. I'm not so much frustrated with the writing as with the time, the whole "scandal/ruined" ... that there could be a turmoil (someone shouting "fire" in a crowded theater) and having Darcy/Elizabeth end up crumpled together and ... oh the gossip!

Once that was over and the story started up, I liked it a LOT more. The events, the repartee between E&D, the slow build, all seemed true to the original ... up until the party/engagement, which like the beginning, seemed overblown and over the top. 

This is the only one of the "accidental" series I've read.  I don't care for things being listed as a series when they are really stand-alone books (gathered into a collection). 

Sometimes the KindleUnlimited books (this had text and audio) can be hit or miss. This was a miss for me, I had to push to finish. I can't say exactly what it was I didn't like ... it just seemed very distant, it didn't pull me in. I never really cared about the characters. The writing was just dry. "With sensitivity she gave the explanation ..." It wasn't the writing that evokes emotions and visualizations. Just stark. Stilted. I looked to see if this had been translated, but that didn't appear to be the case (wondering of some flow had been lost in translation). Anna's parents were referred to by their names as much or more than "her dad/mom" and at times I'd forget that "Matthew" was Anna's father, etc. More disconnect.

The title ... after a search for "rain" I suppose I can sort of see the possible title connection ... "the rains will start soon, then everything will change" "Everything will change when the rains come" ... but really, what did rain have to do with anything? I like a title that really comes into play. This didn't, and it's a very general title with dozens of other books with this title or something very similar. Add to that the generic "back of a woman walking" ... and again, what does this image have to do with the book? While I know there's the whole "don't judge a book by it's cover" ... while this cover is pretty, it's nonsensical.

There were four "parts" with 41 chapters running chronologically. Chapter one gives the reader a location/date of North London/July 2018. These helpful headers were not on every chapter and not included on the Table of Contents (to do a quick track of changes). Part 3 was a major shift ... up until that point, everything had been from the POV of Anna, 3rd person/past tense.

In Part 3, we change to Indira, in India/1954 ... this is written journal style, 1st person/present tense. If there was any part I felt more connected to, it was here. The other parts, with Anna and her quest ... the 3rd person made it distant, and she just wasn't a very likeable character. I guess I'm lucky, having my own family history recorded and at my fingertips (thanks to a family into genealogy and https://www.familysearch.org/ ... and while I find it interesting, I'm not obsessive about it, or feel incomplete (again, maybe not a fair comparison). But Anna's "I HAVE to find out" was very annoying ... not caring at all the emotional impact that reveals have on her father, or other possible family out there.

In Part 3, we find out more history of Indira ... it a rape can be barely mentioned ... that was the case here, although ... was it? Again, it's barely addressed, and at times sounded consensual (if not fully understood). I'm trying to understand how sheltered a girl could have been to not understand ANYTHING. Her father calls her simple and mentally handicapped ... and I actually wondered for a bit if she was. The marriage reminded me a bit of the one in The Covenant of Water (a relief to actually have one that isn't horrible).

There were times I wondered if the author was getting a product placement kickback from "What's App" ...

No proFanity. There is a rape and some domestic violence.

I liked this a lot - I've read two by this author, and will look into her other books. 

I'm not totally sure what I was expecting, I'd skimmed the blurb, read something about a disappearance and the Bermuda Triangle, so I was prepared for a little paranormal, but there wasn't really any.

Included in Kindle Unlimited, with text and audio, I went with the audio edition but had the text there for reference. I did double check the Table of Contents with the time/POV (&narrator) switched. Sometimes I just need that quick visual reference ... "ok, there are going to be three different POVs, they are NOT switching every-other  chapter, Melanie is 1986, so some years before Olivia's POV in 1990 ...). The POV was listed in the TOC in the Kindle ... not in Audible (boo!), the dates were not listed (boo!) I was glad I had the Kindle copy to double check as I got just a bit confused at the switch up (it is there, but in audio,  it can be such a quick statement, hard to register the date sometimes).  I don't have a physical copy to see if it even has a TOC (I've noticed 90% of print copies don't). 

So as mentioned, we had a couple chapters from Olivia's POV in 1990 setting up the story outlined in the blurb. Then shift in POV and time, back to 1986 and another narrator (all 1st person/past tense) Melanie. We bop between the two women ... Dean seems to be a connection, but it was a bit confusing because in Olivia's timeline he's a pilot, whereas he's Melanie's therapist. That seems a rather large switch ... is this the same Dean? Is there some paranormal/parallel universe? Yes and no.   Chapter 11 had Dean taking a turn and telling the story (male narrator) and then it just moves between him and Melanie for a while, and when Olivia's POV comes in again ... it's back in time in 1986 also.  It actually wasn't that hard to follow (I just like a TOC reference at a glance). And yes, honestly, I guess I can see how a TOC with POV/Date COULD be a spoiler ...

There were some "Questions for Discussion" which I really appreciate. It's like having a mini-bookclub in my mind. Bringing up some things perhaps I'd missed. Making me delve a little deeper. Ponder some points. I think this WOULD be a good bookclub book.  

There were some times with Melanie that were a little uncomfortable - the dependence, self-worth issues (personally rather than being demanding, I just check out, the only gift I can give is my absence). Things to think about with Olivia - when a death isn't absolutely certain, how do you move on. Even if it is, how hard is a second relationship after a death (I've been watching one, a super in love family/tragic loss, now he's in a new relationship, the "if the 1st love walked in right now, who would you choose" question, the "what ifs") ... the discussion questions brought up what ifs ...

Content: No proFanity, some sex but nothing explicit.

I think when this book first came on my TBR, I had just read "The Five Wishes of Mr. Murray McBride" and while not the same, felt similar, and I pushed it off for a while. This author is a good one to turn to whenever I have a KindleUnlimited subscription (generally a temporary thing, when Amazon offers a deal to former members) because most of her books are included, with text and audio. I've read several, I really liked this one. 

Fairly predictable setup - a young gay man living next to a grouchy older man, who mocks him. Ends up being his caregiver and they go on an adventure and get to know and understand each other. A little Hallmark. Quite clean, no proFanity, some discussion of LGTBQ stuff. Dealing with death ... when you know it's not that far off. 

I had this in three formats ... with KU I got the Kindle copy and the Audible, and I found the paperback at a thrift store and picked it up too. Table of Contents pet peeves!!! No TOC in the print copy, in Audible - just the chronological chapters listed. Kindle copy was the only one to include the chapter headers. Even those most of these headers weren't super profound, I still appreciate seeing them together in a TOC.
1. The Bad-Neighbor Lottery
2. Oh
3. What's Wrong with That Man?
4. I Want a Drink
5. Nocturnal Redemptions
6. Who Are You and What Have You Done With Chester?
7. Scrape Them
8. What Lay Ahead
9. Personal
10. Gobble Gobble Shine
11. There
12. The Disconnect
13. Honor
14. Judgy
15. Grays
16. You Want To Hear This
17. Chester 1.0
18. Watching You
19. Cool
20. The Win
21. It Okay Honey
22. Weenies
23. Sentimental
24. Serve
25. Calling
Epilogue: One Year Later

I really like chapter headers in a TOC ... Scrape ... I remember the bumper stickers. The Win ... Ahhhhh, I'm going to remember that moment so fondly. If the author goes to the effort of making chapter headers, PLEASE make a TOC and include them (in all formats!)  I went dominantly with the audio - I've heard Michael Crouch in quite a few other books,  but usually as part of an ensemble. Here, it was all him, as this was all from Louis's POV (first person/past tense). 

There were bookclub questions in the Kindle copy - which again, I appreciate. I read them, , they make me think about some things I might not have otherwise (as a bookclub discussion might), delve a little deeper.  These had some points to ponder.

... I came upon this book dominoes style ;) I'd read a number of 9-11 books, one being "The Day The World Came To Town" about so many planes being directed to land in Gander, and how the community stepped up to care for the "plane people"  ... I read that book June 2023, a year ago. I can't remember if "Kevin T" was mentioned, if his story or any interviews from him were included. The Broadway tour of the Come From Away musical was touring, and would be in my area April 2024. I mentioned it to Hubs ... and he booked us tickets. Jim Defede's book was really my only information on Gander, I didn't know the music or how the musical would play out. 

Jump to April 2024 and we went to see the show. Really liked it. I found out the a filmed version of the Broadway play had been made for AppleTV ... so I watched it. Even though I'd just seen the musical, and it was basically an exact repeat (many of the same actors even), I appreciated the filmed version. I had subtitles help me catch every word, and close ups, and views from the back and the side. While I almost always have an audiobook in my ear, I went ahead and listened to the soundtrack a few times. 

I discovered the book Come From Away: An Inside Look at the Hit Musical ... it actually IS in audiobook format (but not at my library, I might splurge and get it from Audible and give it a listen,  as it features many of the actors/individuals, which would be interesting) ... I bought a hardcopy, and there were so many pictures, and background stories, and, basically the script from the musical. Loved it! In it, when talking about one of the people, Kevin Tuerff (the real person, and the portrayal in the musical) it was mentioned he'd written his own book ... so THAT'S how I found this. It was available on Hoopla and Libby (alas, not Kindle ... unless I wanted to pay $10 to buy it). It bumped its way onto my TBR, right to the top. 

In some ways, parts (at the beginning) felt a little repetitive, based on the fact that I'd just read similar information (basics about Gander/the airport, the day) in the Come From Away book, and maybe even remembered some from "The Day The World Came To Town" ...  and of course from the musical itself. It was really interesting to get more of an individual approach (although he still discusses others), to see it all from ONE person's eyes. Interesting to note some of the differences (creative license taken in the musical, like making the Kevin 1 character from San Diego, not Houston, because there was already such a large Texas presence in the characters). 

If you follow my reviews at all, you might note I'm a Table of Contents snob ... I liked having the chapter headers included in the TOC in the ebook and audiobook, as they provide a reference and review. Nine chapters, a foreword,  a prologue, and an epilogue

The foreword is by the mayor of Gander, Claude ... I wish he could have recorded it himself. It makes it so much more personal. My mind balks at having the same voice (here, the author) read a first person statement from someone else, then narrate their own story. I need different voices. Also, in both print and especially audio, I really wish they would put the credit/reference at the beginning (so I know WHO is talking, not have to wait for that info to be given at the end). 

Prologue - just a quick 9-11/Gander intro ... It All Starts With Kindness
1. September 11: Stuck on the Tarmac
2. September 11: The Terrible News
3. September 11-12: Where Am I and Who are These Nice People?
4. September 13: We stink and We Want to Go Home
5. September 14: Deja Vu - Back in France
6. One Year Later: Pay it Forward
7. Ten Years Later: The Return to Gander
8. What Now? Kindness and Refugees
9. 10 Tips for Encouraging Kindness
Epilogue: When Your 9/11 Story Becomes a Broadway Musical

See how helpful that TOC is? So chapters 1-4 were things covered in the other books/musical, and then as soon as Kevin left Gander, then it's mostly new stuff (although some of the 9/11 Pay It Forward initiative was also discussed in the Come From Away book.  

...and Evan ... I didn't see a clarification here, I thought his boyfriend really WAS named Kevin too. Originally to preserve privacy issues, the musical had changed it to Collin (per footnote in that  book), but then after the other Kevin's okay, it was switched back to Kevin. So I was unsure why "Evan" was used here? This book lists the general "some names have been changed" ... but if this didn't come out until after the musical, it seems like protecting Kevin/Evan's privacy would be a moot point, unless I guess KevinT would have needed KevinJ's permission for this work separately?

Per the title ... the religious song "Channel of Peace" is key to Kevin's story. Religion gets a bit more press than one might think (especially as early on the author talks about after coming out, his church didn't welcome/support him).  I don't know that I'd been familiar with the song before the musical ... but let me tell you, it runs through me head SO much now! Especially while reading Come From Away and this book. 

It was interesting to learn more of the Pay it Forward movement ... that it was partially based on the book by Catherine Ryan Hyde. I've read quite a few books by Hyde, and looking further, I remember watching the movie based on the book (although it was a long time ago, I don't really remember it). Unlike the majority of Hyde's books which are included in KindleUnlimited, this one is not. It is going on my TBR (but I'll wait until my KU subscription runs out, gotta use it while I can).  Another domino book ... :) 

I thought this brought up some great things to think about - featuring kindness and doing good, the plight of refugees. I remember once being at a grocery store and a young mother with a toddler had an issue paying (forgot wallet, didn't have enough). I had that moment of "I could pay for her groceries!" trying to eyeball how much it might add up to, if that was something I could do, but I didn't move fast enough and she left, without her groceries saying she'd try to come back. It was something that stayed with me, that I could have stepped up, and would she have let me, and how would we both have felt, and that I would have totally said "just pay it forward when you can" ... remembering a teacher who helped me out in my younger years. I still wish I'd been a little more proactive on that one. 

So while this wasn't a literary masterpiece, I'm really glad it popped up for me. It's all wrapped up in my "Come From Away" experience.  

I was 30 years old, with three little boys when 9-11 happened. I remember hearing the news as I got my oldest off to kindergarten. My baby, just turned one, took his first steps that day. I've learned more about the day from various books ... [book:The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11|43821581], [book:102 Minutes: The Untold Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the Twin Towers|177187], [book:The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland|148775] ... that last one must have triggered some Facebook advertisement algorithm, because an ad for "Come From Away" the musical appeared in my feed. This was mid-2023, and I mentioned it to Hubs (it was touring and would be in our city the following year) ... and he bought us tickets. May2024, we went to see the show. It was great. A filmed version of the Broadway production was also available on AppleTV, so I watched it in the comfort of my home, with subtitles, to catch every word. I don't remember how I stumbled upon this book, but I went ahead and ordered it. I'm generally a digi gal, ebooks and audio, and this took me a bit to get through, but it was a unique read.

Here, we get additional history of Gander, the airport, and events that day. Then ... there's the script of the show, word for word. There were added notes, with more information about this or that, little tidbits that were so fun and interesting. Lots of pictures. More additional info, on the authors, how they got the idea for the show, the funding the first steps of the writing, then production. Interspersed, more pictures, and more of the script, with notes and additions. 

Even just a copy of the script would have been interesting ... to read it, and remember the music and the scenes. But all the background information, and new insights, asides ... just made something that was already very personal, even more intimate and connected. I especially loved the stories of the real people, meeting the actors playing them, lots of compelling stuff there. 

This definitely has a target audience ... you have to have seen the show, liked the show, to appreciate this book. But it will have a special spot on my bookshelf now. 

While this is at the end of the 1800s (1899) rather than the start, this had a BIT of a P&P feel, with gowns and balls and coming out ... Lilly and her situation had the smallest Lydia/Wickham vibe. But this was a murder mystery, and there is an American woman center stage (I went with audio and just had to verify, okay, the Countess of Harleigh is American and wouldn't have an accent, although it is set in Britain, and everyone else does have an accent sans other Americans Lilly/Hattie). 

First person // Past tense  - Basic chronological chapters (21 of them). 

I'm honestly not sure why I didn't enjoy this more than I did. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood? Modern thriller mysteries are ones I struggle with, always trying to guess the "unbelievable twist" and I'm not sure if maybe it's just mysteries in general I don't really care for? We had a number of suspects (one being GRAYSON ... a name I track, it's Hub's name).   I remembered his name, but there were two other "G" names (Graham, George) and I'll admit I struggled a bit trying to remember who was who.  I had to restart at the beginning as IT restarted (going from a later moment, then back in time to the event that started things off) ...

I liked it ... I wouldn't be opposed to continuing on and seeing what else these characters get in to, but I'm also not really committed to following through. They are included in Audible Plus, also available at the library ...  with SO many books out there, I'm betting I don't get around to continuing on with the series. 

Pretty much PG - no proFanity, limited sex talk ... murder?