Leah of the Pack

I need to take the time today to talk about an amazing book, The Fall of Giants by Ken Follett which is part of the Century Trilogies. My aunt and uncle introduced me to this book while on vacation earlier this summer. They had both started reading it and knew my sisters and I liked to read so they got us each our own copy for the trip. I was excited to start this book because it isn't my usual type of read. From the moment I started reading, I was hooked. Following five families during times of the first world war and the Russian revolution, Follett creates an interesting story where characters intertwine when you least expect it and puts and interesting twist on what seemed to be boring history when we learned it in school. From high society, to coal miners taking us from America, to Russian, to Aberowen, a fictional city created for this book, the reader is on the edge of their seat the entire book. Whenever I thought I knew how characters were going to end up I was rewarded with a new plot twist that made reading about history suddenly so much more interesting than I had imagined. I enjoyed this book because while I like learning about history when it comes to reading I don't traditionally choose books that involve war but Fall of Giants changed this. I would recommend this book to any of my friends that enjoy reading.  It's a large book but I was able to finish it quickly because I read very fast and also I could not put it down. It is a must read!

I was lucky enough to do a guest post on this awesome blog, Caught Between the Pages  for favorite book Friday. Thanks to Kayla for putting it this collaboration all together, be sure to check out her blog! Here's my review. 

I am one of those what seems to be rare people than actually enjoy reading in their free time. Summer provides plenty of time to get some reading done which makes it my favorite time of the year. I read really fast ( can read one of the last Harry Potter books in a day and a half fast) so I am always look for new books to read. I've already read five or six this summer while on vacation. I read pretty much anything! Here are my reviews and recommendations. Today's posts are just on books written by Jodi Picoult as I have read three of her books already this summer.

*Any synopsis was taken directly from the authors website or the back of the book and was not written by me

The Pact - Jodi Picoult 
*"For eighteen years the Hartes and the Golds have lived next door to each other, sharing everything from Chinese food to chicken pox to carpool duty-- they've grown so close it seems they have always been a part of each other's lives. Parents and children alike have been best friends, so it's no surprise that in high school Chris and Emily's friendship blossoms into something more. They've been soul mates since they were born.So when midnight calls from the hospital come in, no one is ready for the appalling truth: Emily is dead at seventeen from a gunshot wound to the head. There's a single unspent bullet in the gun that Chris took from his father's cabinet-- a bullet that Chris tells police he intended for himself. But a local detective has doubts about the suicide pact that Chris has described.

The profound questions faced by the characters in this heart-rending novel are those we can all relate to: How well do we ever really know our children, our friends?"

I read this book while on an airplane and bus ride home from Work Week and I could not put it down. There's a good introduction and background for each character, building suspense and plot twists I did not see coming. All of Picoult's novels end in a thrilling trial that keeps you hooked till you reach the back cover. My only issue with this book was that I downloaded it to my iPod and somehow the ending got cut off so I had to Google how the story finished but I would hands down recommend it to anyone.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

House Rules - Jodi Picoult
*"HOUSE RULES is about Jacob Hunt, a teenage boy with Asperger’s Syndrome. He’s hopeless at reading social cues or expressing himself well to others, and like many kids with AS, Jacob has a special focus on one subject – in his case, forensic analysis.
He’s always showing up at crime scenes, thanks to the police scanner he keeps in his room, and telling the cops what they need to do…and he’s usually right. But then one day his tutor is found dead, and the police come to question him. All of the hallmark behaviors of Asperger’s – not looking someone in the eye, stimulatory tics and twitches, inappropriate affect – can look a heck of a lot like guilt to law enforcement personnel -- and suddenly, Jacob finds himself accused of murder. HOUSE RULES looks at what it means to be different in our society, how autism affects a family, and how our legal system works well for people who communicate a certain way – but lousy for those who don’t."

Another one of Picoult's novels that was hard to put down. This book really was great at looking at the story through an array of character's perspectives. The only thing I wasn't in love with was the ending because I was left confused. I would recommend this to most people. For the most part I really love Picoult's writing style.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Sing You Home -Jodi Picoult 
*"Zoe Baxter has spent ten years trying to get pregnant, and after multiple miscarriages and infertility issues, it looks like her dream is about to come true – she is seven months pregnant. But a terrible turn of events leads to a nightmare – one that takes away the baby she has already fallen for; and breaks apart her marriage to Max. In the aftermath, she throws herself into her career as a music therapist – using music clinically to soothe burn victims in a hospital; to help Alzheimer’s patients connect with the present; to provide solace for hospice patients. When Vanessa – a guidance counselor -- asks her to work with a suicidal teen, their relationship moves from business to friendship and then, to Zoe’s surprise, blossoms into love. When Zoe allows herself to start thinking of having a family, again, she remembers that there are still frozen embryos that were never used by herself and Max.Meanwhile, Max has found peace at the bottom of a bottle – until he is redeemed by an evangelical church, whose charismatic pastor – Clive Lincoln – has vowed to fight the “homosexual agenda” that has threatened traditional family values in America. But this mission becomes personal for Max, when Zoe and her same-sex partner say they want permission to raise his unborn child. SING YOU HOME explores what it means to be gay in today’s world, and how reproductive science has outstripped the legal system. Are embryos people or property? What challenges do same-sex couples face when it comes to marriage and adoption? What happens when religion and sexual orientation – two issues that are supposed to be justice-blind – enter the courtroom? And most importantly, what constitutes a “traditional family” in today’s day and age?" 

Once again a wonderful book written by Picoult. I there were lots of plot twists that I hadn't foreseen happening. The only reason I wasn't a huge fan of this book is because in comparison to the two books I had just read before by her it was not as dramatic. What I did appreciate is how much this book made me think. Which side do I agree with? If I was the judge what would I do? It was different from a lot of books I read in the way that it touched base on issues that may be emerging in today's world. Although it was not my favorite by her, I would recommend it because of how much it made me think because not many books really make me think.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Other Picoult Books Previously Read Prior to Summer That I would Recommend 
My Sisters Keeper
Nineteen Minutes

Stay tuned for upcoming posts on other books I have read this summer! Any book suggestions? Please let me know :)