Pure Murder

Pure Murder by Corey Mitchell
 

I should really stop reading true crime. It only makes me an emotional and scared to boot!

This book recounts the horrific murder of two teenage girls: Elizabeth Pena and Jennifer Ertman. This book made me feel anger, frustration, horror, sadness, hopelessness, fear…Those poor girls. The fact that human beings can be such monsters is a scary thing, indeed.

I thought the book was a bit graphic at times, but it’s a true story, so I suppose leaving out the actual details would be dishonest.

I followed up on the men who committed this horrific crime. 3 of them have been put to death, 3 of them are serving life sentences. I was shocked to discover that some women started a page to try to free one of the men. And on that page were trying to explain away this unspeakable crime. Excuses for this man ranged from his age, drugs and alcohol, even stooping to the low of blaming the parents of the girls for allowing them to walk home that evening. I was disgusted and heartbroken for the families having to read this and know that people support this man and try to excuse what he has done. There is no excuse. 

I hurt for the terror these girls had to experience in their last moments. And I hurt for their loved ones left to remember them.   

It Happened One Autumn

It Happened One Autumn Lisa Kleypas

Description from Amazon.com: “Four young ladies enter London society with one necessary goal: they must use their feminine wit and wiles to find a husband. So they band together, and a daring husband-hunting scheme is born. It Happened at the Ball... Where beautiful but bold Lillian Bowman quickly learned that her independent American ways weren't entirely "the thing." And the most disapproving of all was insufferable, snobbish, and impossible Marcus, Lord Westcliff, London's most eligible aristocrat. It Happened in the Garden…When Marcus shockingly -- and dangerously–swept her into his arms. Lillian was overcome with a consuming passion for a man she didn't even like. Time stood still; it was as if no one else existed…thank goodness they weren't caught very nearly in the act! It Happened One Autumn...Marcus was a man in charge of his own emotions, a bedrock of stability. But with Lillian, every touch was exquisite torture, every kiss an enticement for more. Yet how could he consider taking a woman so blatantly unsuitable…as his bride?”

My thoughts: Another beautifully crafted, emotional love story from Lisa Kleypas. The way she creates chemistry and passion never bores me! This is in the “Wallflower” series.

I Am A Pole

I Am A Pole (And So Can You!)--by Stephen Colbert

This was on a bestseller list from the library. I have to admit, I've never seen Stephen Colbert's show, but thought I would give the book a try. It's actually a children's book? I think? Anyway, I wouldn't read it to my child! And maybe I missed a point somewhere, but I thought this was simply awful. The writing was boring (even for a children's book) and didn't seem to make sense. And what was the point...I'm not sure. I wouldn't recommend wasting time with this, although it's only about 5 minutes long! Maybe someone could explain to me what the point is???

Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China

Description from Amazon.com: "Blending the intimacy of memoir and the panoramic sweep of eyewitness history, Wild Swans has become a bestselling classic in thirty languages, with more than ten million copies sold. The story of three generations in twentieth-century China, it is an engrossing record of Mao's impact on China, an unusual window on the female experience in the modern world, and an inspiring tale of courage and love.

Jung Chang describes the life of her grandmother, a warlord's concubine; her mother's struggles as a young idealistic Communist; and her parents' experience as members of the Communist elite and their ordeal during the Cultural Revolution. Chang was a Red Guard briefly at the age of fourteen, then worked as a peasant, a "barefoot doctor," a steelworker, and an electrician. As the story of each generation unfolds, Chang captures in gripping, moving -- and ultimately uplifting -- detail the cycles of violent drama visited on her own family and millions of others caught in the whirlwind of history."

My thoughts: I enjoy reading memoirs by people vastly different than myself. This book was lengthy, but worth the read. A lot of Chinese history is included, woven with Chang's personal family history. I have read superficially of the Cultural Revolution in China. Chang provided me with more details and put human faces on this historical period. I recommend this to all readers that enjoy memoirs or history. The one complaint I would express is that the book, to me, is long on detail and short on emotion.

The Crying Tree

A family struggles with the murder of their son in "The Crying Tree" by Naseem Rakha. What if things had been different? What really happened on that tragic day? This book focuses on the power of forgiveness and the love of family. However, I didn't appreciate the "mystery" element (that wasn't mysterious at all). I thought the book would have been better to leave that portion out. As a mother, this book was emotional for me.

No Place to Run

No Place to Run by Maya Banks

Alpha male/steamy series alert! This book is part of the KGI series by Maya Banks. This is not the first book in series, so I will need to backtrack.

My thoughts: Wow…starts right out with quite a naughty interlude! You know it can't go wrong when it starts out like that! I thought the characters were strong and passionate. The story line was a bit contrived, but the steaminess made up for it!!

Some Girls

Some Girls by Jillian Lauren

Description: "At eighteen, Jillian Lauren was an NYU theater school dropout with a tip about an upcoming audition. The ‘casting director’ told her that a rich businessman in Singapore would pay pretty American girls $20,000 if they stayed for two weeks to spice up his parties. Not exactly the whole truth. Soon, Jillian found herself on a plan to Borneo, where she would spend the next eighteen months in the harem of Prince Jefri Bolkiah, youngest brother of the Sultan of Brunei. Leaving behind her gritty East Village apartment for an opulent palace where she walked on rugs laced with gold, Jillian traded her band of artist friends for a coterie of backstabbing beauties competing for the prince’s attention. More than just a sexy tale set in an exotic land, Some Girls is also the story of a rebellious teen finding herself.”

What I thought: I found this memoir interesting. Lauren tells her story in an honest fashion, even at the expense of making her a bit unlikeable. Her story made me fear for my daughter. Growing up is hard! And I don't want her to go through awful things in life. Lauren took a hard road but came out of it a better person. There are some good insights provided in this book if you enjoy coming of age memoirs.