Reviewed ~ Wild by Cheryl Strayed

Title: Wild

Author: Cheryl Strayed

Pages: 315

Published: 2015

Summary: 

At twenty-two, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother’s death, her family scattered and her own marriage was soon destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life. With no experience or training, driven only by blind will, she would hike more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State — and she would do it alone.
Told with suspense and style, sparkling with warmth and humor, Wild powerfully captures the terrors and pleasures of one young woman forging ahead against all odds on a journey that maddened, strengthened, and ultimately healed her

Thoughts: 

This book took me by complete shock. I was blown away by how much I could relate to parts and to other parts I pulled back from. I loved how strong this author became... she didn't start that way and that is something that always attracts me to books. When a character can grow I have to admit that is when you have hooked  me. I will forgive almost anything if you can show me that the character has some  kind of growth through the book. And by did this author grow. She starts off at what can be considered rock bottom and with little to no forethought goes on the most difficult journey on a good day with experience and yet she goes with no experience and comes out a live. Battered, bruised and stronger which man oh that is some serious growth and lawd it's what a gal like me needed to read at a time like that. I am very interested in watching the movie now just to see how it relates to the book because the book really stirred something in me. It made me want to try things. It made me want to reach for things. It made me believe that I can do things that I feel I may not be strong enough to do and even at rock bottom people can come back. It is a powerful book that I have highly suggested others to read. 

TBR Review ~ Dark Life by Kat Falls

Title Dark Life

Author: Kat Falls
Pages: 304

Summary:
Dive deep into the vivid underwater world of Dark Life!

The oceans rose, swallowing the lowlands. Earthquakes shattered the continents, toppling entire regions into the rising water. Now, humans live packed into stack cities. The only ones with any space of their own are those who live on the ocean floor: the Dark Life.

Ty has spent his whole life living deep undersea. When outlaws attack his homestead, he finds himself in a fight to save the only home he has ever known. Joined by Gemma, a girl from Topside, Ty ventures into the frontier's rough underworld and discovers some dark secrets to Dark Life. Secrets that threaten to destroy everything.

Thoughts: 

This was a TBR for me it came out in 2011 and I am pretty sure I picked it up that same year. There is something appealing about underwear and living underwater. This book delivers on this and gives more then I could have hoped for. The underwater descriptions alone was worth this book I could almost see what Ty saw and experienced what it would be like to live underwater. It didn't paint it to be an easy life it almost had me convinced that maybe just maybe I wouldn't live underwater. But man the colors and the animals seemed worth it. The houses and how the functioned were amazing and that's not even getting into the storyline which also was pretty cool. I really enjoyed Ty and Gemma and learning there histories and how they learn each other and how to work together. I also really enjoyed the plot which was full of twists but not too many turns if you keep in mind the reading age level for this book grades 6-8 if you are wondering. I have to say that for the age level of the book even as an adult I really had fun with this book and enjoyed every minute of it. So much so I am extremely happy that when I bought this I also bought the second one in the series to continue with Ty and Gemma's storyline. 

January Read from TBR

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

Summary:
The king's scholar, the magus, believes he knows the site of an ancient treasure. To attain it for his king, he needs a skillful thief, and he selects Gen from the king's prison. The magus is interested only in the thief's abilities.

What Gen is interested in is anyone's guess. Their journey toward the treasure is both dangerous and difficult, lightened only imperceptibly by the tales they tell of the old gods and goddesses.

Pages: 280

Published: 12/27/2005

Thoughts: 

I was unable to get through this story and I'm sad about it. It has high reviews on Goodreads and Amazon. I barely made it half way before I decided it wasn't worth forcing myself to read and dislike. Sadly this was a DNF for me.