2017

Turns out I really liked The Chosen Maiden even though I almost quit it twice. In fact, I meant to quit it and return it on the way to Orlando because it was going to come due while we were gone, and it couldn’t be renewed. But, I forgot to put it in the library bag and didn’t realize it until I was dumping the books into the return bin.

Since I forgot to return it, and it was already late, I thought I should try again to finish it… and that’s when I got hooked. I have no idea why it took more than 100 pages for me to really get into the story, but it did. I stayed up way too late one night reading it and had only about 50 pages left when I realized how late it was and finally put it down. (And now, I kind of want to go to the ballet.)

I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about The Second Mrs. Hockaday since it was told through diary entries/letters AND it was set in a somewhat fictional South Carolina.

(When the author talks about Traveler’s Joy, I think Traveler’s Rest… when the author uses some real city names but not all real city names, there’s a confusion in my head that almost ruined the story for me. What was the point of the not real places? I don’t get that… I never understand why writers do this… whatever…)

Turns out I really liked it. The diary entries helped with a feeling of suspense, (though I was pretty sure I knew what happened from the first 20 pages, I didn’t know the details), and the writing was wonderful.