It hasn't been very long since my
last book review but I spent 9 days of August down in Chincoteague, Virginia so I had a little extra time while on vacation to get some reading done! This was my fifth time visiting Chincoteague Island (my fianc
é's family vacations there every year, and just bought a little spot down there this year too!) and every time I go I fall more and more in love with the island. I mean, when you can catch sunrises like this off of the bay every morning, how could you NOT love it???
The beach is actually located on a national, protected seashore and on the drive over to the beach you can normally catch wild horses roaming the woodlands! It's so quaint and serene and the beaches are great as well - they are the perfect little spot to catch some rays.
Even if you are not a beach person, there's plenty of other activities to enjoy on the water. Boating and fishing and water sports are huge down here. I liked going along for the sunset fishing trips on Will's family boat: you won't ever catch me with a fishing pole in my hand, but the bay and the quiet rocking boat gave some beautiful backdrops to do some reading on while the others were fishing.
And speaking of having great views for reading...I certainly had plenty during this trip! I got to read in a hammock, on a floating dock on the bay, at the beach, and on the deck of our home that overlooked the bay and beautiful skyline.
On some vacations I love to GO-GO-GO and explore new places, try new things, get out and about and live it up! Chincoteague is not really that kind of island though: everything moves a little slower and it's definetly the place to visit if you just want to slow down and relax and enjoy some nature and maybe some good books along the way :) Here's the list of the books that I read on vacation, and since the last time I rounded up my reviews!
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By Mary Beth Keane. Synopsis from Amazon:
How much can a family forgive?
A profoundly moving novel about two neighboring families in a
suburban town, the friendship between their children, a tragedy that
reverberates over four decades, the daily intimacies of marriage, and
the power of forgiveness.
Francis Gleeson and Brian Stanhope, rookie cops in the NYPD, live next
door to each other outside the city. What happens behind closed doors in
both houses—the loneliness of Francis’s wife, Lena, and the instability
of Brian’s wife, Anne, sets the stage for
the explosive events to come.
Ask Again, Yes is a deeply affecting exploration of the
lifelong friendship and love that blossoms between Kate Gleeson and
Peter Stanhope, born six months apart. One shocking night their
loyalties are divided, and their bond will be tested again
and again over the next 40 years. Luminous, heartbreaking, and
redemptive, Ask Again, Yes
reveals the way childhood memories change when viewed from the
distance of adulthood—villains lose their menace and those who appeared
innocent seem less so. Kate and Peter’s love story, while haunted by
echoes from the past, is marked by tenderness, generosity,
and grace.
I have mixed thoughts on this book. I thought the quality of writing
was excellent, the character development superb, the conflicts
challenging and thought provoking, but even with all that, I can’t
insist that I loved it. I did enjoy
getting to follow the story of so many different characters through the
book – you really got to know each character well and it was nice
seeing the different views of each one. This was a bit of a longer
read, and it covered a lot of plot and time – starting
from when Lena and Anne were only pregnant with Kate and Peter and the
story focused on them and their relationship with their spouses, all the
way through to Kate and Peter being born and growing up and then
eventually the story transitions to mostly focusing
on their life. I think the thing that got me about this book was how
many hard and depressing topics are in it. It covers mental illness,
alcoholism, loneliness, family/friendship divides, affairs, illness and
recovery, and more. While all those conflicts
were very well written and plotted out, it was still a lot of muck to
read through. I guess I just wish there were a few more happy moments
in the book instead of constant conflict. Regardless, I give a lot of
props to the author for a well written story,
but know going into it that this will not be the most light-hearted
read.
