A REUNION OF GHOSTS by Judith Claire Mitchell

I received an advance copy of this book from the Amazon Vine Program.

This was a very unusual book. It reminded me a little bit of THE WEIRD SISTERS by Eleanor Brown. The book focuses on three sisters who live together in a rent-controlled apartment in New York City that generations of their family have lived in.  The eldest sister, Lady, has been suicidal for years and has attempted to end her life many times. The middle sister, Vee, is terminally ill with cancer. The youngest sister, Delph, follows the lead of her older sisters as they have been better maternal figures to her than her own mother ever was.  The sisters come from a seemingly cursed family where many members have met untimely ends. The sisters believe their family might be cursed and that the curse stems from their scientist great-grandfather whose creations may end up having killed millions.  The sisters decide to write the history of their doomed family as they face decisions about their own mortality.

Mitchell is a very gifted writer.  I found myself underlining quite a bit in the book. The Alter family is truly an interesting creation. That being said, I never really found myself connecting with the characters. They were interesting but I could not connect with them emotionally. This meant that the book didn't have quite the impact it could have. Although I found the ending a bit frustrating, I felt the last chapter was the best one in the book.  The story of the Alter sisters makes the reader think about the legacies we inherit and how much blood really affects our destinies.

BOTTOM LINE:  Recommended with reservations. An unusual story that may be off-putting to some.  I didn't particularly care for the story overall but I think Mitchell is a wonderful writer.  I look forward to future novels from her.

Quarterly Book Riot #BKR06 Unboxes **SPOILERS**

I don't do many subscription boxes anymore.  We limit ourselves to Kidstir for my son and the occasional PopSugar Must Have box for me. But the one I can't get rid of is my Quarterly Book Riot subscription.  At $50, it is my most expensive subscription but I can't help being drawn to all things bookish.  Plus, it is only quarterly rather than monthly.

Here is the theme for #BKR06:

"We've chosen a chilling theme to go with the oh-so-chilly weather.  Hunker down, huddle up, and wrap your mind around some matters of life and death and the in-between."

Here is the first thing I saw when I opened the box:

There was a bookmark right on top that accompanied the mass market paperback:

While I typically not a fan of mass-market genre fiction, I am willing to give this one a try as I trust Book Riot's taste.  It could be fun!

Next in the box was a flask:

I am not much of a flask-user but I found this one amusing. I may have to find a reason to use it.

Next in the box was another book:

Although I am more of a fiction reader, this title interests me.  We just recently got a copy in the library.

Finally, there was this cute composition book:

This was probably my favorite thing in the box.  It is almost too cute to use! I'll have to think of something special to do with it.

Although I like to price out my other subscription boxes to see the value, I don't do that with my Book Riot boxes because you can't really put a value on being exposed to new authors and ideas.

Can't wait to see what the next one brings!

The Story of Toulouse

Today, I am remembering my beautiful cat Toulouse. I had to say goodbye to my constant companion of 14 years yesterday and I am heartbroken.

Go to my creative blog to read the Story of Toulouse.