WWW Wednesday, 31-May-2023

31 May

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived here on Taking on a World of Words. Just answer the three questions below and leave a link to your post in the comments for others to look at. No blog? No problem! Just leave a comment with your responses. Please, take some time to visit the other participants and see what others are reading. So, let’s get to it!

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The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Note: For users of Blogspot blogs, I’m unable to comment on your posts as a WordPress blogger unless you’ve enabled Name/URL comments. This is a known WordPress/Blogspot issue. Please consider enabling this to participate more fully in the community.


Currently reading: I have a plan to finish The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. I got the physical book again from the library. With all the on-again-off-again of my Buddy Reads, I’m going to come to this inbetween. When one of them wraps up, I’ll grab something else, but I want to keep moving forward here.
I’m working through the next section of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab after my Reading Buddy and I met last Thursday. We had such a cliffhanger that we were both excited to get started on this one again!
Second Reading Buddy and I got through the first section of Seeing Sideways by Kristin Hersh and met on Monday evening. I’m glad I have someone else to read this with because I tend to struggle with very poetic prose. I struggle to slow down and read with emotions. Reading Buddys are so helpful.
I was able to start the audio for How to Find Your Way in the Dark by Derek B. Miller. I was so relieved no one had checked it out right before I needed it! It’s fun to be reading Miller again.

Recently finished: I was able to wrap up Scene & Structure by Jack M. Bickham before it was due back to the library! I’m glad I read this one and I was able to write a review and post it yesterday. Please let me know your thoughts! I gave it Three out of Five Stars.
I finished Broken (in the best possible way) by Jenny Lawson during my Saturday morning run and it feels so good! It’s been a long time since I’ve had two books here and finishing the second in a week was such a relief. It was great to read something funny that kept me laughing, too. I enjoy getting a laugh from Lawson.

Reading next: I’m going to take a break from looking into the future this week. I’ve got a lot of books in the works or newly started and thinking of even more to come is too much right now!

Leave a comment with your link and comment (if you’re so inclined). Take a look at the other participant links in the comments and look at what others are reading.

Have any opinions on these choices?

Until next time, write on.

You can follow me on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!

Some of the links on this post may be affiliate links. Taking on a World of Words is a participant in affiliate programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking to products. If you purchase a product or service through an affiliate link, your cost will be the same but Sam will automatically receive a small commission. Your support is greatly appreciated.
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Book Review: Scene & Structure by Jack M. Bickham (3/5)

30 May

I don’t remember when, but another blogger recommended this book to me years and years ago. It was in the days where my blog was more evenly balanced between writing and reading. This must have been in my early days of Goodreads as well as I shelved it in 2013. And now I feel ancient. It took a while to get to it because my library didn’t own a copy, but the Interlibrary Loan system made that a breeze.

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Cover image via Amazon

Scene & Structure by Jack M. Bickham

Summary from Amazon:

This book is your game plan for success. Using dozens of examples from his own work – including Dropshot, Tiebreaker and other popular novels – Jack M. Bickham will guide you in building a sturdy framework for your novel, whatever its form or length. You’ll learn how to:

   • “worry” your readers into following your story to the end
   • prolong your main character’s struggle while moving the story ahead
   • juggle cause and effect to serve your story action

As you work on crafting compelling scenes that move the reader, moment by moment, toward the story’s resolution, you’ll see why…

   • believable fiction must make more sense than real life
   • every scene should end in disaster
   • some scenes should be condensed, and others built big

Whatever your story, this book can help you arrive at a happy ending in the company of satisfied readers.

I both liked and didn’t like this book at the same time. Let me explain. I appreciated having the insight and advice about writing structure. Bickham did a great job of explaining the structure lesson in the first few chapters. However, it seemed like there was far too much time spent on exceptions to the rules that seemed like minutia and made the later half of the book drag. Since Bickham is an action writer, there were mostly examples from this genre. It felt a little self-serving that he continued to use examples from his own work. And the other examples made the time period very obvious as well. There aren’t a lot of books about the KGB any more!

The person who recommended this book to me did so because they thought I could benefit from learning more about the difference between scene and sequel. They were completely right. I have a much better understanding of both and how they work together to tell a story. It helped me to think of them as separate and not feel like they needed to be combined into one. It was really great to have this broken down and spelled out to the degree it was because it’s not a concept I would have completely understood with a brief read.

Jack M. Bickham. Image via Fantastic Fiction

I felt a decent undertone of sexism in the book that frustrated me. Bickham alternated between he and she when referring to writers and readers, but his plot examples were what got me. It was most obvious in the sample plot he shared where there’s a weak female love interest and the strong male protagonist is saving the day. I know this book is 30 years old, but I wonder how much the action adventure genre has changed. I don’t read it much, so I’m not sure.

Writer’s Takeaway: There was a lot of great things I got out of reading this book, even if the format it was presented in wasn’t for me. Bickham had a lot of great knowledge to share about structure and what makes a satisfying read for a reader. I loved thinking about Scene Goals and how there’s always a disaster for the character. Giving them time to process their feelings and resolving on their next steps is such a logical way to structure a book, I really enjoyed having that explained to me more.

A really useful read, one I’m glad I read. Though it could have been a bit shorter and perhaps updated with more relevant examples. Three out of Five Stars.

This book fulfilled the 1980-1999 time period of the When Are You Reading? Challenge 2023.

Until next time, write on.

You can follow me on GoodreadsFacebookTwitterPinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!

Some of the links on this post may be affiliate links. Taking on a World of Words is a participant in affiliate programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking to products. If you purchase a product or service through an affiliate link, your cost will be the same but Sam will automatically receive a small commission. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Related Posts:
Scene and Structure Part Two | Louise Bergin
Story Structure – Writing in Scenes Part 1 | Rewrite, Reword, Rework

WWW Wednesday, 24-May-2023

24 May

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived here on Taking on a World of Words. Just answer the three questions below and leave a link to your post in the comments for others to look at. No blog? No problem! Just leave a comment with your responses. Please, take some time to visit the other participants and see what others are reading. So, let’s get to it!

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The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Note: For users of Blogspot blogs, I’m unable to comment on your posts as a WordPress blogger unless you’ve enabled Name/URL comments. This is a known WordPress/Blogspot issue. Please consider enabling this to participate more fully in the community.


Currently reading: Slow going again on The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. I really like this one, but it’s long! I’ll get through it eventually and I’ll keep enjoying it, I’m sure.
I flew through the next section of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab! I had predicted what happened but it was still exciting to see it happen. Reading Buddy and I meet tomorrow to talk about it and I’m excited to hear her thoughts.
I’m still moving well through Broken (in the best possible way) by Jenny Lawson and I think it’s reasonable to say I’ll finish it this next week. I’m running again which is giving me good time for it. Just hoping the weather stays nice!
I’m on the last push of Scene & Structure by Jack M. Bickham! I’m optimistic this one will be finished by next week as well!
Because I can’t stop, I started co-reading with another friend. We’re picking up Seeing Sideways by Kristin Hersh after hearing her speak recently. We both have toddlers so reading a book about motherhood seemed perfect!

Recently finished: Next week… next week.

Reading next: I feel silly talking about yet another book with how many I have going. For audio, I’ll grab How to Find Your Way in the Dark by Derek B. Miller. It seems forever away, but I think it’s closer than I expect.

Leave a comment with your link and comment (if you’re so inclined). Take a look at the other participant links in the comments and look at what others are reading.

Have any opinions on these choices?

Until next time, write on.

You can follow me on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!

Some of the links on this post may be affiliate links. Taking on a World of Words is a participant in affiliate programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking to products. If you purchase a product or service through an affiliate link, your cost will be the same but Sam will automatically receive a small commission. Your support is greatly appreciated.

WWW Wednesday, 17-May-2023

17 May

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived here on Taking on a World of Words. Just answer the three questions below and leave a link to your post in the comments for others to look at. No blog? No problem! Just leave a comment with your responses. Please, take some time to visit the other participants and see what others are reading. So, let’s get to it!

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The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Note: For users of Blogspot blogs, I’m unable to comment on your posts as a WordPress blogger unless you’ve enabled Name/URL comments. This is a known WordPress/Blogspot issue. Please consider enabling this to participate more fully in the community.


Currently reading: I switched back to a digital copy of The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss and was glad to get my hold renewed again! I’m about three quarters done with it and making some steady progress so I will remain optimistic on this one and finishing within the year (preferably this summer).
Reading Buddy and I met yesterday to talk about the second section of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab. I’m back into hitting this one hard! Love the mystery of what’s going on and with what just happened in this section, I think we’re in for some major action soon!
I’ve hit half way through Broken (in the best possible way) by Jenny Lawson and the laughs keep rolling in. It’s fun to have a comedy and nice to have one I can pick up and put down a bit more as I need to. The chapters are completely independent so if I zone out a bit, I can come back in fully caught up quickly.
I’ made a big push with Scene & Structure by Jack M. Bickham before my Reading Buddy and I met yesterday but I still have a little bit to wrap up before I finish this one and get it back to the library. It’s so nice to have a short book for once!

Recently finished: Yet again I’m blank here. I think I can have one next week, though!

Reading next: Because I’m still thinking of picking up yet another print book with Seeing Sideways by Kristin Hersh. There’s no such thing as too many read-alongs, right?
I also need to start planning for another audiobook. I think it’s going to be How to Find Your Way in the Dark by Derek B. Miller. Of the three Miller books I’ve read, I liked two and was ‘Meh’ on a third. So I’m optimistic here!

Leave a comment with your link and comment (if you’re so inclined). Take a look at the other participant links in the comments and look at what others are reading.

Have any opinions on these choices?

Until next time, write on.

You can follow me on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!

Some of the links on this post may be affiliate links. Taking on a World of Words is a participant in affiliate programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking to products. If you purchase a product or service through an affiliate link, your cost will be the same but Sam will automatically receive a small commission. Your support is greatly appreciated.

WWW Wednesday, 10-May-2023

10 May

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived here on Taking on a World of Words. Just answer the three questions below and leave a link to your post in the comments for others to look at. No blog? No problem! Just leave a comment with your responses. Please, take some time to visit the other participants and see what others are reading. So, let’s get to it!

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The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Note: For users of Blogspot blogs, I’m unable to comment on your posts as a WordPress blogger unless you’ve enabled Name/URL comments. This is a known WordPress/Blogspot issue. Please consider enabling this to participate more fully in the community.


Currently reading: I’m back to print for The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss but really trying to hurry it along! I’ve gotten more into the story over the last few chapters and I’m pushing myself to find snippets of time to enjoy it and so far, it seems to be working!
I had my first meeting with my Reading Buddy to talk about The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab. She’s loving it as much as me! I finished the second chunk as well and I’m waiting for her to catch up since I sped through it. There was a lot of time where I felt like not much was happening, but the writing kept me moving forward. Now things are changing and I can’t wait to see where they go!
Listening to Broken (in the best possible way) by Jenny Lawson on audio should come with a warning. I was running while listening last week and had to stop and walk because I started laughing so hard. I adore Lawson’s sense of humor and will keep pushing forward with this one!
I started in on Scene & Structure by Jack M. Bickham, slowly but surely. I’ll get to it between other books and I hope to finish before I have to get it back to the library!

Recently finished: Nothing new this week but I did post my review of The Rebel Wife by Taylor M. Polites. This book wasn’t a win for me and I ended up giving it only Two out of Five Stars.

Reading next: Because I don’t have enough books in progress, I’m starting another Buddy Read with another friend. We’re going to read Seeing Sideways by Kristin Hersh together. We heard her speak at the Midwest Literary Walk (which is reminding me I owe y’all a post about that) and thought this one would speak to the two of us because we both have young kids. We’ll be starting soon!

Leave a comment with your link and comment (if you’re so inclined). Take a look at the other participant links in the comments and look at what others are reading.

Have any opinions on these choices?

Until next time, write on.

You can follow me on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!

Some of the links on this post may be affiliate links. Taking on a World of Words is a participant in affiliate programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking to products. If you purchase a product or service through an affiliate link, your cost will be the same but Sam will automatically receive a small commission. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Book Review: The Rebel Wife by Taylor M. Polites (2/5)

8 May

I heard about Polites from an essay collection I read a while back, Knitting Yarns. I really enjoyed Polites’s essay and remember him talking about knitting a dog sweater (the collection was authors who knit so this is very in line with the collection). I added this novel to my TBR and there it sat for two and a half years. I found an audiobook copy of it and decided to give it a go.

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Cover image via Amazon

The Rebel Wife by Tyler M. Polites

Summary from Amazon:

Augusta Branson was born into antebellum Southern nobility during a time of wealth and prosperity, but now she is left standing in the ashes of a broken civilization. When her scalawag husband dies suddenly of a mysterious illness, she must fend for herself and her young son. Slowly she begins to wake to the reality of her new life: her social standing is stained by her marriage; she is alone and unprotected in a community that is being destroyed by racial prejudice and violence; the fortune she thought she would inherit does not exist; and the deadly fever that killed her husband is spreading fast.

Augusta needs someone to trust if she and her son are to escape. As she summons the courage to cross the boundaries of hate, The Rebel Wife presents an unforgettable heroine for our time.

I started this audiobook as I was making a long drive. Usually, this is a great time for me to pay attention to a book and dive into it. Something about the beginning of this book confused me and it started us off on the wrong book and we never made it back. I was confused about all of the characters, who was alive or dead, and who was family, friend, or servant. I was then focused on sorting all of those things out and didn’t really grasp what was going on in the story for a while. This made it hard for me to be invested in Augusta and her search for Eli’s money and left me confused about the two different stories she was being told. In the end, it was hard to get into since nothing really felt explained.

I think a lot of the folks in this story were good reflections of their time and location. The economy of the South went through huge changes following the Civil War and the anger, confusion, and hostility we hear from the characters felt very real. I think the different voices we hear, Judge and Simon especially, really highlighted how bad things were at the time and what a long road it was going to be for that region to see any real change.

I didn’t particularly like any of the characters in this book. Augusta bothered me the most so having her as a narrator was frustrating. She starts the book off having resented her husband and everything he did to her and behaving as if she has the true ‘rebel’ mentality we see in her friends and suspect her family held. It was confusing to me what changed her mind in the story. It didn’t seem really believable to me that she would have such a shift in opinion and moral guide without much having moved her in that direction. I thought maybe I missed something for a while. I think it was too sudden and extreme to really seem believable.

There are some aspects to what Augusta was going through that resonated with me. I think there are a lot of folks of my generation today that see a change in opinion about gender and sexuality. I’m thinking back to the “OK, Boomer” fad and the concept that the ideas that some generations hold are written off by younger ones as being outdated. Augusta seemed to feel that Judge (and possibly her parents) were too stuck in their ways and they should embrace the changes that were happening and find a new way forward.

Taylor M. Polites
Image via Amazon

There wasn’t a part of this book I really liked, honestly. When I wasn’t confused, I was sad for the characters and what they were experiencing. I thought some of the scenes with the society ladies were a bit more light hearted and liked those more, but I still never got to a point with this book that I would say was a stand out favorite.

The beginning of this book didn’t get me off on the right foot, and that made it hard for me to read the rest of the story. I wish there’d been a little slower introduction to all the people in the house and maybe a little less chaotic start to the story. I didn’t know who was dying and who was killing a snake and if the two things were related.

The audiobook was narrated by Johanna Parker. Honestly, I wasn’t a big fan of her reading, but I don’t know much of that was that I wasn’t a fan of Augusta. Augusta seemed weak more than once and it Parker put a waiver in her voice when she was scared or meek that frustrated me. For having a mind-shift that seemed very modern, her ability to stand up for herself was quite in line with the times. Her accent and voice differentiation seemed right to me, but I’m not from that part of the country so I can’t say too much about how accurate she was to Alabama.

Losing the Civil War was a huge blow to the South. The end of slavery made their agrarian economy a delicate system that couldn’t continue. Folks like Judge suffered economically and blamed everyone but themselves. This isn’t a transition I remember learning a lot about in school which is probably my Northern bias. I can see why there was so much tension at the time and I thought Rachel and John were smart to pack up and get out. I think this is a time ripe with tension and made for an interesting backdrop for the story.

Writer’s Takeaway: Writers are always advised to start the story with action and to make things move from the start. Polites did this with a very action-packed scene with a lot of folks involved. I think the number of people introduced was too much for the opening chapters. I was confused about who was dying, which made it hard for me to understand who was sad and who was unaffected. By the time that was sorted out, I was trying to figure out who I had missed being introduced to while I sorted out who was dying. I’m not sure there needed to be so many folks in the house or visiting the house so early and I think slowing that down could have helped with the confusion.

I struggled to get into this book and that kept me from being able to enjoy it. Two out of Five Stars

This book fulfills the 1800-1899 time period of the 2023 When Are You Reading? Challenge.

Until next time, write on.

You can follow me on GoodreadsFacebookTwitterPinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!

Some of the links on this post may be affiliate links. Taking on a World of Words is a participant in affiliate programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking to products. If you purchase a product or service through an affiliate link, your cost will be the same but Sam will automatically receive a small commission. Your support is greatly appreciated.

WWW Wednesday, 3-May-2023

3 May

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived here on Taking on a World of Words. Just answer the three questions below and leave a link to your post in the comments for others to look at. No blog? No problem! Just leave a comment with your responses. Please, take some time to visit the other participants and see what others are reading. So, let’s get to it!

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The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Note: For users of Blogspot blogs, I’m unable to comment on your posts as a WordPress blogger unless you’ve enabled Name/URL comments. This is a known WordPress/Blogspot issue. Please consider enabling this to participate more fully in the community.


Currently reading: I found a new technique to finish up The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss in a reasonable amount of time. I’m still waiting on an interlibrary loan and instead of starting something new, I got a physical copy of this to read. I’m reading it before bed at night and getting through it much faster than I was on my phone. I’ll try to find the right spot in the ebook should I need to switch back, but I think this might be how I finish it up.
My reading buddy and I started The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab and I’m in love so far! We did a short first section to see how fast we’d read it, but I think we’ll have to do longer sections on this so we’re not meeting multiple times per week! This is a really fast read for such a long book.
I needed a new audiobook and something to make me laugh sounded like a good plan. I grabbed Broken (in the best possible way) by Jenny Lawson. I’m a big fan of Lawson and looking forward to this one! I have a signed copy at home, but she reads me the audiobook, so I still think it’s an upgrade.

Recently finished: What a big week for me! Lágrimas en el mar (Salt to the Sea) by Ruta Sepetys late last week which was an amazing feeling. It’s always great to finish my Spanish read of the year! This one took me almost two months, though I had some interruptions. I posted my review on Monday so please go check it out! I gave the book Four out of Five stars.
I was able to finish The Rebel Wife by Taylor M. Polites, too! I went for a longer run on Saturday and knocked out the last bit of it. I really wasn’t a big fan of this one. The confusion I had at the beginning about who was who was a bad first impression. However, the character relationships didn’t develop in a way I found believable and I never connected with the main character. I’ll write my review this weekend but my initial rating is Two out of Five stars.

Reading next: I’m waiting on my loan of Scene & Structure by Jack M. Bickham. Hopefully it will be in soon and I can get started! It’s been a while since I had some non fiction on my plate.

Leave a comment with your link and comment (if you’re so inclined). Take a look at the other participant links in the comments and look at what others are reading.

Have any opinions on these choices?

Until next time, write on.

You can follow me on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!

Some of the links on this post may be affiliate links. Taking on a World of Words is a participant in affiliate programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking to products. If you purchase a product or service through an affiliate link, your cost will be the same but Sam will automatically receive a small commission. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Book Review: Lágrimas en el mar (Salt to the Sea) by Ruta Sepetys (4/5)

1 May

It took me two months, but I finally finished my 2023 Spanish Language Read! If you’re new here, I have a degree in Spanish but I don’t have a job or lifestyle where I get to use that skill often. So every year, I read a book in Spanish. Usually, it’s YA because that’s about my reading level. This book was recommended to me by my sister in law and I thought it was a good opportunity to read it and get through my Spanish read of the year.

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Cover image via Amazon

Lágrimas en el mar (Salt to the Sea) by Ruta Septetys

Other books by Sepetys reviewed on this blog:

Out of the Easy
Between Shades of Grey

Summary from Amazon:

Winter 1945. WWII. Four refugees. Four stories.

Each one born of a different homeland; each one hunted, and haunted, by tragedy, lies, war. As thousands desperately flock to the coast in the midst of a Soviet advance, four paths converge, vying for passage aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff, a ship that promises safety and freedom. But not all promises can be kept . . .

So this is a summary I’m really glad I didn’t read. And I’m unsure how to keep this review spoiler free so read ahead at your own risk, though I’ll try my hardest. I did end up spoiling the ending for myself because I peeked at the references at the end and one of the movies on the topic she recommended tells you the historical events in the title. So, whoops! One of the things I really liked about this book was the short chapters. Especially reading in a language that’s not my native language, having short chapters with easy stopping points for when my brain inevitably needed a break was wonderful. The four points of view were very distinct and I never mixed the characters up. I think the way Sepetys set this book up was great for the ending we drove toward.

I kept forgetting that these characters were so young. If we got exact ages, I’ve forgotten them but I think we’re looking at people 16-22. The things they had to see and endure at such a young age seem unthinkable, but war is unimaginable and that’s how we got there. The things that they did and saw seemed to age them faster than one would normally imagine. So while at times I had to remind myself that their level of maturity was in line with their lived experiences, I think it was appropriate.

Joana was my favorite character. She seemed to lead in a way I admired and she was very selfless. I think in the situation she as in, it would be hard to think of others before yourself so I admired this about her. She was very practical and kind. While Florian seemed cold at times, Joana never did and her emotions were raw and rang true to me.

Luckily, there wasn’t a lot in this story I could relate to. These characters were in an insanely bad situation and they were never allowed to rest for a moment. I thought Emilia might be the most relatable to me because I’ve been pregnant, but her pregnancy was a very small part of her story in the end.

Sepetys

Ruta Sepetys Image via the Between Shades of Gray website

The end of this book was very well written and I flew through it. Once they got on the boat, things didn’t slow down for a second. We learned a lot about the characters through their travels and waiting to get on the boat, but it wasn’t until they were onboard that I struggled to put this book down. The relationships they’d built and the love we had between them was incredible and the ending came like a rush that I wasn’t ready for. I was captivated.

I felt like the traveling section of this book, about the first third, was a bit duller. While we saw the three refugee characters come together, Alfred always seemed like a lost soul and he didn’t add anything to this part of the book. It set up well the situation we’d find on the Gustloff but I’m not sure that was something that couldn’t have been explained quickly when they got to their destination.

[Spoilers ahead] Sepetys has written WWII stories of people whose stories are not commonly told. This is no exception. As a fan of Titanic history, I thought I knew my other maritime disasters well. I’d never heard of the Gustloff. To this day, it’s the largest maritime disaster in history. The picture Sepetys paints in this book is heartbreaking. Filled with wounded soldiers and refugees, the Russians clearly torpedoed the ship thinking they were killing some high-ranking Nazi officers. They didn’t account for the other lives they would ruin. Reading this during another Russian war seems very timely and it makes you consider the civilian cost. If even one innocent person dies, isn’t it too much?

Writer’s Takeaway: The alternating points of view was unique in this book. Keeping the chapters short meant we were never in one person’s head for too long. I always find that in multiple POV books, there’s one person I care less about. It was Alfred in this book. However, with the short chapters, I didn’t inwardly sigh when I got to one of his letters to Hannelore because I knew it would be short and over soon. It also allowed us to see a single scene from more than one person’s point of view. I liked this, especially in scenes between Joana and Florian. It was a great tool.

This was a solid read and I might have enjoyed it more in English when I would have been able to read in longer sections. Four our of Five Stars.

Until next time, write on.

You can follow me on GoodreadsFacebookTwitterPinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!

Some of the links on this post may be affiliate links. Taking on a World of Words is a participant in affiliate programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking to products. If you purchase a product or service through an affiliate link, your cost will be the same but Sam will automatically receive a small commission. Your support is greatly appreciated.

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Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys | Megan’s Musings

WWW Wednesday, 26-April-2023

26 Apr

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived here on Taking on a World of Words. Just answer the three questions below and leave a link to your post in the comments for others to look at. No blog? No problem! Just leave a comment with your responses. Please, take some time to visit the other participants and see what others are reading. So, let’s get to it!

IMG_1384-0

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Note: For users of Blogspot blogs, I’m unable to comment on your posts as a WordPress blogger unless you’ve enabled Name/URL comments. This is a known WordPress/Blogspot issue. Please consider enabling this to participate more fully in the community.


Currently reading: I dropped the ball on The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss yet again. I’m liking this one, but still struggling to find a way to fit it into my life. Little One is sick again so I haven’t had the 10 minutes of peace before they get home that I sometimes do. Hoping that with treatment, we can get to a better place and maybe that will give me some more reading time.
I’ve really focused on Lágrimas en el mar (Salt to the Sea) by Ruta Sepetys and set time aside to focus on reading this one. I’m enjoying it, but I have some other books lined up that I’m equally excited about so I’m pushing to finish it up.
I’m struggling with The Rebel Wife by Taylor M. Polites. I’m not invested in the story much at all and I can’t find it in myself to like the main character. I haven’t been driving or running a lot and those are my two main sources of time to listen. Maybe I’ll find more soon but this one has been a struggle.

Recently finished: Nothing this week, unfortunately. Maybe again soon!

Reading next: Change of plans! Reading Buddy and I have picked our next book. It was a suggestion from my mom and I couldn’t help buying a copy. Then I talked my Buddy into buying a copy and now we’re poised to start The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab. This is probably coming soon, but we’re both finishing other books first before we jump in with two feet. I’m excited!

Leave a comment with your link and comment (if you’re so inclined). Take a look at the other participant links in the comments and look at what others are reading.

Have any opinions on these choices?

Until next time, write on.

You can follow me on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!

Some of the links on this post may be affiliate links. Taking on a World of Words is a participant in affiliate programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking to products. If you purchase a product or service through an affiliate link, your cost will be the same but Sam will automatically receive a small commission. Your support is greatly appreciated.

WWW Wednesday, 19-April-2023

19 Apr

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived here on Taking on a World of Words. Just answer the three questions below and leave a link to your post in the comments for others to look at. No blog? No problem! Just leave a comment with your responses. Please, take some time to visit the other participants and see what others are reading. So, let’s get to it!

IMG_1384-0

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Note: For users of Blogspot blogs, I’m unable to comment on your posts as a WordPress blogger unless you’ve enabled Name/URL comments. This is a known WordPress/Blogspot issue. Please consider enabling this to participate more fully in the community.


Currently reading: I did alright with The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss this week! I was on a business trip and had a dinner alone where this book was my date. We had a great time! Thankfully, I was able to renew it again so I’m not in danger of losing it mid read for another three weeks. We’ll see what I can do.
I had time to keep moving with Lágrimas en el mar (Salt to the Sea) by Ruta Sepetys, too, but it feels like I’m not making any progress! I’m getting frustrated but I know it’s a longer one so it makes sense it’s taking its time.
I started The Rebel Wife by Taylor M. Polites on my trip and made a pretty sizeable dent in it during the drive. It wasn’t a great start to me but I’m figuring out the characters relationships now and seeing the story take place. This isn’t a time period I know much about so I’m learning a lot as I go.

Recently finished: IAs expected, I wrapped up The Evening and the Morning by Ken Follett on my drive last week. It feels SO GOOD to finally have something in this section! This was a long book and I knew it would take me time, but it still feels like it took too long. I gave this one Four out of Five Stars. You can see my review here on the blog, which I posted yesterday. I love this series and the care Follett takes in his Kingsbridge world. I can’t wait for the fourth installment to come out later this year!

Reading next: It still seems like forever before I’ll start Scene & Structure by Jack Bickham. Non fiction will be a nice change of pace! I might push another one in front of this, though. Something caught my eye while traveling that may take precedent. We’ll see.

Leave a comment with your link and comment (if you’re so inclined). Take a look at the other participant links in the comments and look at what others are reading.

Have any opinions on these choices?

Until next time, write on.

You can follow me on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’m available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!

Some of the links on this post may be affiliate links. Taking on a World of Words is a participant in affiliate programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking to products. If you purchase a product or service through an affiliate link, your cost will be the same but Sam will automatically receive a small commission. Your support is greatly appreciated.