The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner

This book caught my eye because I have always been fascinated by the subject of the Salem witch trials. This is a story about a young woman, Lauren, who has been hired to transcribe a diary that was written by a young woman, Mercy, who was accused in the trials. This starts a journey for Lauren to discover who she is and to examine how she feels about her life of privilege.

One of the great lines from this book ~~ "When you only do what is expected of you, you never learn what you would've done had you chosen for yourself." ~~ is exactly what Lauren is struggling with.

The Shape of Mercy is very well written and I found myself caring for both Lauren and Mercy from the very beginning. We also meet the owner of the diary, Abigail, an older woman who reveals in one of their transcribing sessions ~~ "He was the man I should have married." Lauren is determined to find out what she means by that statement but she also wonders if she, herself, in too concerned with what she 'should' do. 

I enjoyed this book immensely and will be recommending it to my friends! 

The author's website says she writes "Fiction for the Restless Reader". I am pretty sure that I am a restless reader and I know that I am going to be reading more of Susan Meissner's books! 

http://www.susanmeissner.com/

~~ I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. 

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House Rules by Jodi Picoult

Synopsis: 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. 

 

I love, love, love Jodi Picoult's books! They are always very heartwarming and sometimes sad but they really make you stop and think, about your own life and about other people's lives. 

 

I have a good friend that has a son with Autism and I worked with special needs children in my past life, so I thought of myself as pretty knowledgeable on the subject of this book. But being on the outside is a whole lot different than being right in the middle of this kind of life. 

 

I devoured this 500+ page book in a weekend, that is how wrapped up in this story I became. I did get some other things done, but I sat and read whenever I could. I love it when a book grabs me like that and makes me just want to do nothing but read. I haven't had a book do that to me a quite awhile. I guess I am going to have to find another JP book to get lost in! 

 

But maybe I should do some housework first? Nah!!

http://www.jodipicoult.com

No Moon by Irene N. Watts

I thought that I had a lot of knowledge about the Titanic but this book tells the story from a different perspective from anything else I have read. 

The main character, Louisa, is a young girl of 14 and this is a story about her life with her family before she boards the ship. The reader gets to know her and her family and the struggles they go through to survive life. Louisa was not supposed to go on this ocean trip but circumstances change at the last minute and she has to go as the nanny for the family she is working for.

Even though this is touted as a book about the Titanic, it is a back story to the main story of this young girl in England at the time of the sailing. I really enjoyed this book!

http://irenenwatts.com/

Words in the Dust by Trent Reedy

Reedy was inspired by a girl he met during his tour of duty in Afghanistan, and Zulaikha's character is based loosely on her experiences. Infused with poetry, and wrought with hardship, the story gives a bleak, but ultimately hopeful, portrayal of girlhood in Afghanistan. It is full of hard truths, painful lessons, beautiful human interaction, and the promise of possibility. ~~from Amazon (School Library Journal review)

This book gives an amazing look at the lives of young people in Afghanistan. The main character was born with a cleft lip and palate and we witness the cruelty of others that she has to endure. Her older sister is very beautiful but she is not at all jealous of her sister and they have a very strong,loving bond.

I loved learning about the lives and customs of the people living in this country. I especially liked reading about the wedding preparations of the sister and all the traditions that go into that ceremony. Not everything is a happy ending in the book, just like in real life.

I am very glad that I read this book! 

~~ received book from Goodreads