Showing posts with label Lake Union Publishing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lake Union Publishing. Show all posts

Saturday, January 14, 2017

Book review: "The Whiskey Sea" by Ann Howard Creel

Photo credit: Netgalley

     There was something about The Whiskey Sea (Lake Union Publishing), by Ann Howard Creel, that drew me in the second I read about it.  Originality at it's best; I had never come across a book that was about a young girl repairing boat engines and taking part of the prohibition in a sea side small town.
     Frieda and her younger sister Bea are left orphaned at a young age and reluctantly taken in by the one man they believe has done them no wrong.  He teaches them the ways of the sea and Frieda falls in love with the sea wanting to follow after her "father" who would like her to have a more traditional life.  She learns to work on engines and uses her new found skills to make some quick cash during the prohibition.  She aims to make a better life for herself and her family, to the scrutiny of those she loves.  Will her past haunt her and will her tenaciousness ruin her future?  The different ways that grief and heartbreak effect those in the same family is always so intriguing. 

     I appreciate that Creel (almost) didn't sugar coat things. 99.9% of the book is real life, hard times, how am I ever going to get through this type of stuff.  The last page, maybe not so much, but even that wasn't perfectly perfect.

Overall I truly enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it.

The Whiskey Sea was published August 23, 2016.

A copy of this book was provided to me for review by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Professional Reader

Saturday, July 23, 2016

Book Review: "Broken Angels" by Gemma Liviero

Photo credit: Netgalley

    Broken Angels (Lake Union Publishing), by Gemma Liviero, follows the lives of three individuals during WWII.  Both Jewish and Aryan the three characters all face the harsh realities of such an ugly period in history.  The alternating points of view gave fresh air to the story when often times, as stories told about this period of time, became hard to read.  These three viewpoints also brought to light parts of the war I'd never read of before, and I am an avid reader of WWII stories.  It shows how war changes people; even those who seem to have a higher status too become broken.
     All three characters (even the German one) are easy to get attached too.  The story is both heartbreaking and redemptive.  I absolutely recommend it; especially if you are drawn to stories of the war.

Broken Angels  was published April 2016.

I received a digital copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.  All thoughts are my own

Challenge Participant
Professional Reader

I received a review copy