Share Your Shelf-April

Hello friends and hello May. Since the first day of the month is also the first Thursday of the month, it's time to Share Our Shelves. This link up is hosted by Tanya-Marilyn-Joanne-and Jenn. Hop over to add your books or see what others have been reading lately. 

I didn't read as much in April as I normally do. There was a lot of nighttime blogging in April in an effort to keep up with the A-Z Blog Challenge, plus there was just a lot going on here. Which I know I say every month, but April was extra and I had less time to relax with a book. 

I read three books and one was almost 700 pages, so maybe that should count double? Here's what I read in April-

 

1. Same As It Ever Was by Claire Lombardo

Julia Ames is a woman in her late 50's living a seemingly comfortable life with her husband Mark and their two grown children. Her son unexpectedly announces he is going to marry and then quickly become a father, and her daughter is headed to college. Julia grapples with all the things women her age grapple with-parenting, relationships, regret, purpose. 

Julia's everyday ordinary is interrupted one day by a chance encounter with an old friend, an older woman named Helen Russo. This encounter forces Julia to confront some unresolved issues from her past and the story proceeds from there.  The timeline jumps around some (but it works) from present day to the early married years, to raising children and even back to Julia's own childhood. As a wife and mother she struggles to communicate with the people she loves including her husband, her children, and especially her mother. There are hints of childhood trauma which Julia acknowledges have had a lasting impact and lots of dysfunction in that particular relationship. 

I thought the book was just okay. In my opinion it needed editing and I didn't love the main character, which of course is going to make me love the book less. Claire Lombardo is an excellent writer but this one felt long given the story told. There was also a sense of gloominess to the story that I didn't care for. I gave it three stars. 

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman

Recently I went through my Goodreads list of 'want-to-reads' and deleted a few titles that no longer held any appeal. I also found a few that have been on the list for several years, that I never got around to reading. I decided to try and read one of these 'oldies' (not classic old, just been on my list a long time old) each month. Saving CeeCee Honeycutt has been on my list since 2012. I didn't even realize I'd been on Goodreads that long. 

This is the tender story of 12-year old CeeCee Honeycutt, who has grown up in Ohio caring for her psychotic mother. Her dad is basically absentee and checked out. In the aftermath of a tragic event CeeCee's great aunt Tootie arrives from Savannah to take charge of CeeCee, and a new life begins for the young girl. 

This is a simple, but poignant tale, uncomplicated yet moving. There's no big buildup to something you didn't see coming, but it is sweetly told, well written, and just an enjoyable read overall. I gave it four stars.

The Woman In White by Wilkie Collins 

As I mentioned last month, I'm trying to read at least one classic novel each month this year, and The Woman In White was the one I chose for April.  A blog friend (Maria at Memorable Moments and Modest Missives) reminded me of this book in a message she sent me, and I hadn't thought about the novel in years. So glad to have rediscovered this gem...thank you Maria! 

The Woman In White, written in the mid-1800's, is one of the earliest examples of detective fiction, and  incorporates many Gothic elements like mystery, suspense, and deep dark secrets. The story holds up very well some 160+ years later. I've said this same thing each month about whatever classic it is I happen to have read, but the language in these novels is exquisite. 

Now for the plot...Walter Hartright, a young art teacher living in London, comes across a woman late one evening, dressed all in white, and in a state of distress. He learns later she has escaped from an asylum. Walter is headed to Cumberland to work as the drawing instructor for two young ladies at Limmeridge House, and when he shares this bit of news with the mystery woman he's surprised to learn she knows the house and speaks very highly of the deceased Mrs. Fairlee, who was the wife of the former owner.

Current residents of Limmeridge House are Frederick Fairlie, the quirky and reclusive uncle of Laura Fairlee. Laura and her devoted half-sister Marian Holcombe, also reside at Limmeridge House. 

Hartright finds that Laura bears an astonishing resemblance to the woman in white, whose name it turns out is Anne Catherick. As the story progresses we learn Anne had lived for a time in Cumberland as a child and was devoted to Laura's mother (Mrs. Fairlee), who first dressed her in white.

Walter's relationship with Laura, the family's complicated history, and the actions of the mysterious Sir Percival Glyde and his friend Count Fosco lead to a series of revelations and events that challenge sanity, identity, and the power of the human spirit. 

The mystery of the woman in white unfolds at a pace I absolutely loved. In pieces, but pieces big enough to keep you wanting more of this almost 700 page novel. Five stars for me. 

Have you read anything great this month? If so please share. Happy May everyone!