The World and All That It Holds by Aleksandar Hemon

This was not a typical selection for me. I typically am not attracted to "war" books, but I am glad that I read this. It's a beautiful portrayal of culture, love, longing, and the lengths we go to for love. Many quotable gems in here; beautifully written. Give it a chance, even if it isn't your typical genre - I am certainly glad that I did. Five stars!

Maame by Jessica George

Bet you will NEVER guess. Give up yet? FIVE STARS! I loved the culture, the family, and the struggle to differentiate presented in Maame. Maame was an amazing cultural journey that has stayed with me since I finished reading it. A story of love, family, generational complexity, and differntiation of self. Self sacrifice, and the things we do for love and how they impact our lives. Definitely read this one. #readingescape #jennreviews #maame #netgalley

The Ferryman by Justin Cronin

As a Cronin fan since I read The Passage, and as someone who then read all of his other works, The Ferryman hits different. Without giving any spoilers, because I'm not a COMPLETE asshole, this book is not what it seems. It kept me reading. Each and every damn time I thought I figured out what was going on, I discovered I couldn't be further from the truth. Cronin is a master storyteller, and if I can say one (of the many) great thing about his writing, it is that it is in no way formulaic, it is always original, and every single book is a different animal in and of itself. I would personally NOT be SAD if this were to be translated to the big screen (but I might be sad if it is translated to television and flops like The Passage did - the casting was ALL wrong, IMO.) Five stars, for sure!

The Book of Everlasting Things by Aanchal Malhotra

Since I'm playing catch up, highlighting my favorites.... you guessed it. Another five star read. Another beautifully cultural, generational family drama. One that I must admit, despite having a whole bunch of education, I learned a lot about world history from. I learned a lot about the art of making perfume. And I simply grew to love the characters and their story. If I'm absolutely honest, I didn't want this book to end. It was a rich, engrossing, beautiful cultural experience that I won't soon forget. This is an amazing debut work of fiction by Ms. Malhotra and I will definitely be keeping an eye on her for more.

On the Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel

PEOPLE - this book. Not only did it absolutely capture this trauma-therapist heart, it took that same heart and ripped it out through my nether regions. THIS BOOK **WILL** MAKE YOU CRY. That said, it was also the best book I have read in years - poignant, raw, real, gorgeous prose, heartaching beautiful, and heartbreaking all in one go. This was my first read for this author, but it certainly will NOT be my last. Of note, this story is a fictional portrayal of a real serial killing event, and, in my opinion, a beautiful tribute to those lost souls and what may have well been near to their actual stories. READ THIS BOOK. NOW. Or, maybe save it for when you need a good, cathartic cry. But definitely read it. It will break your heart in a good way and will leave a lasting imprint on your soul. P.S. If you hadn't guessed, this book was a 10,000 star read. #readingescape #jennreviews #netgalley

The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

THIS, while LONG, was an instant five-star read and easily remains one of my favorite reads of the year. I remember reading "Cutting for Stone", years and years ago at the recommendation of a fellow bookish friend (she knows who she is if she is reading this... I may have once declined plans with her by telling her "I would rather stay home and read tonight"). Anyway, I have often wondered over the years why Verghese hadn't published again. Well, needless to say, Covenant was WELL worth the wait. A culturally gorgeous, multi-generational story that will feed your soul, Covenant provides the storytelling vibe of Gabriel Garcia Marquez. While I selfishly want more, experience has shown that waiting more than ten years for a new story from Verghese is one-million percent worth it, so I will (im)patiently bide my time. #readingescape #netgalley #thecovenantofwater #abrahamverghese

Coming up....

Phew. It has been A MINUTE, y'all. Life got crazy, things got busy, work has remained intense and BUSY, big projects around home were completed, kids made it through the school year, one graduated.... And I continued to read throughout it, evening managing to remain up to date on my long list to TBR ARCS, for a few months anyway. Reading them, that is. Not blogging them and posting them. Oops. So, bear with me as I go through my read-and-reviewed and select my very favorites and play catch up. Because I may never catch up if I try to blog them all. So, for a minute or so, reviews will be books that have already been published, intermingled, at some point, when I catch up, with yet-to-be-released ARC reviews again. #Imtiredalready #letsgo