Month: November 2016

The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman

I wish I had read this book sooner!  It wasn’t really what I expected…it was so much more.

The story begins as a mystery.  We do not know the significance of the crosses on the hill and we discover a dead man in a boat with a crying baby.  The immediate response is to take action, which is what Tom and Isabel do.  What starts to take flight in the beginning is the two different reactions by the two main characters of the book.  Tom is the rule follower and is quick to make decisions and to take action in the “right” direction.  However, Isabel is in a state of depression and desperation which makes her decision making more skewed and in the “wrong” direction.

But if you view it from Isabel’s perspective, is it an “answer from God” in response to the miscarriages?  Or is it a coincidence?  Do you view it as an act of faith or as a lucky coincidence?  Isabel is clearly in a state of despair and will do anything and justify anything in order to satisfy he need to be a mother.  She clearly manipulates her husbands need to please her and his guilt for having taken her to Janus, as well as his guilt of not being able to save her from the miscarriages.  His guilt is his weakness.  Her despair is hers.

But at the root of these two people is their undying love.  They reiterate their vows throughout the story “from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, until death do us part.”  This book was so heartbreaking because you felt so badly for Isabel and Tom’s loss but on the other side, you feel for Hannah and the losses she has.  However, one person could be happy again through the same vehicle that would deny Isabel and Tom their happiness.

This story hit on all aspects of love and its durability and undying hope for happiness.  It was heartbreaking as a reader to feel the angst of loss with all of these characters.  I felt happy for Isabel and Tom for finding the answer to their lost babies and I felt terrible that Hannah was taking away their daughter.  It was a strange emotion to have.  It was an unexpected side to take.

This was a beautifully told story with a landscape to match.  All that Janus embodies with its beauty, isolation, tragedy and pleasantries, is the perfect background for the ebbs and flows of this emotional story.

How far would you go for your true love?  Would you lie, cheat and steal?

Whose side did you take in this story?

Were you angry with Tom for letting Isabel convince him to keep the baby?  Or were you angry at Isabel for being manipulative and knowing Tom would do anything for her?

Did you feel that Tome betrayed Isabel with the letters to Hannah?  Should he have done more or less?

Did you think that Isabel would choose Lucy or Tom in the end?  Were you surprised by her choice?

What did you think of the ending?

What role do you think Janus played in the story?  Would the same situation have been able to happen if they had been on land the entire time?

Lies That Chelsea Handler Told Me by Chelsea’s Family, Friends and Other Victims

So after reading two other Chelsea Handler books (Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea and My Horizontal Life), I fell in love with this sarcastic and crazy, funny blond with attitude.  I thought this book might give some insight as to why she is so funny and why people are drawn to her.  After reading this, I am wondering why any of these people continue to be her friend!

I was so turned off by this book that I only got ¾ of the way through it and gave up.  I never found the redeeming person that they swear she is.  I never found the ridiculously funny lady I met in the other books!  I know that this is supposed to be a bit of a roast but I still didn’t find any humor in the situations they discussed.  And, I was seriously wondering why I even picked up this book.  I’m beginning to feel like a bit of a “bad book picker” with this one.

Maybe I wasn’t in the mood for a comedy…even after all the tragedies we’ve been reading lately.  I just was not feeling the humor in this book.  I always liked Chelsea Handler and this book made her seem like a total jerk!  I’m going to pretend I didn’t read this and continue my love for her.

What did you think about this?

How did it rate in comparison with other CH books you’ve read?

What were the redeeming qualities of the book and main subject?

What did you hate/dislike about this book and its many stories?

How did you feel about CH before reading this book?  How do you feel about her now?