Hey readers! First of all, I wanted to point out to all of you that I’ve added a couple new tabs to my blog in the past few days: Recipes and Reviews.
Reviews also includes book reviews – I have a lot more coming and I take suggestions for books to read! Although I have limited free reading time! Over this summer I read a ton of books for pleasure because I had forgotten how much I love to read! Law school can do that to you.
I’m also planning on including reviews of products that I’ve used in my posts, but that will probably come this weekend! Speaking of reviews, here’s another of a great, fun read!
While flying back to Kansas City, I finished the book Gods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson. I found this book, and a few others, by searching on amazon.com for book lists for women in their 20s. I wrote down a few titles that looked interesting, and this one caught my eye. The story is about a young woman named Arlene Fleet who left her small hometown in Alabama after High School without looking back. Although this may sound like a typical girl running away from small town life, Arlene wasn’t running from the town, she was running because she promised God that if he kept her secret she would never go back.
However, just as the story begins her life in Alabama shows up in Chicago, causing her to return to Alabama for her relationship with her boyfriend, but more for herself. She realizes that she can’t run from her past anymore and heads back in an attempt to settle many unresolved problems and face the secret from her past.
Gods in Alabama was a great quick read and definitely kept me interested the entire time. The author reveals the story in a way that keeps you guessing. I kept thinking that I had figured out what happened, but then she reveals a new twist in the story that I hadn’t anticipated. I hate it when I figure out a book before I even get started, so stories like these are great for me.
I also loved many of the characters in the book. For one thing, Arlene believes that she and her aunt, who practically raised her, are very different people. In reality, however, they are both stubborn women who like to be in control and protect their loved ones with great ferocity. Personally, I felt like I identified best with Arlene’s cousin, Clarice. Not because she was the gorgeous cousin who got all the attention (haha, definitely not) but because she was “glossy” on the outside, trying to make sure she came across as strong and always happy. Perhaps she also took up the theory of acting the way you want to feel. She worked very hard throughout the story to perk up their moods and not let things get to her. Something I’m working on!
If you’re looking for an interesting and somewhat quick read to mix it up, I’d highly recommend Gods in Alabama. I certainly enjoyed the story, which was very different from other books I’ve been reading.
Other book reviews: