In Cold Blood: A True Account of a Multiple Murder and Its Consequences

In Cold Blood: A True Account of a Multiple Murder and Its Consequences ~ by Truman Capote

As you have probably figured out by now, I enjoy a good mystery! This story is based on true events that happened in a small town in Kansas on November 15, 1959. That is when four members of the Cutter family were senselessly murdered for no apparent reason.  There were also very few clues for investigators to work with in trying to determine who the murders were.

We meet each of the members of the Cutter family along with their closest friends.  We begin to understand each of the characters and their stations in life. The older with lives half-lived and the younger with dreams ahead. Until the day they are gunned down. The older siblings are left to deal with the mayhem that follows.

Capote also introduces us in great detail to the antagonists. He tells their life stories in an effort to help the reader see the events in life that made them the people they have become.  It seems like he wants the reader to understand that they are victims of their own circumstances of their early lives. He appears to want the reader to feel sorry for them even in the face of the brutal murders they have committed.

Truman Capote is a famous author known for his ability to weave a story with intricacy, emotion, and details.  He writes from the point of view of each of the main characters which was a very effective way to make me connect with each of the characters; good and bad.

The Coroner by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush

This is a great book, even though it was easy to figure out a list of the possible suspects and narrow it down to the top few.  I suspected the culprit fairly early on. But the author presented the other possible suspects in such a way that it might have been any of them.

The main character, Emily Hartford, is living a comfortable life in Chicago when she gets that dreaded call that her father has had a heart attack and she must come immediately.  Though she has not spoken to her father in years due to lack of closure in the untimely death of her mother from long ago, she hurries to her father's side.

When she arrives back in the small town that was her home for most of her life, she finds herself needed to step into her father's shoes and act as coroner to help unravel the death of a young girl whose father just happens to be a senator.  Mix together with that coming face to face with her high school sweetheart, and you've got the makings for a great story.

                                                      If you enjoy the simplicity of a simple tale, this book is for you!

2018-19 Gateway Award Winners

  Top Three Gateway Award Winners for 2018-19 are:

         1st Place

           Scythe
By Neal Shusterman

          387 Votes

  

                                         

      2nd Place
  Salt to the Sea
By Ruta Sepetys
      244 Votes







                                                                                               

           3rd Place
The Sun is Also a Star
      By Nicola Yoor
          236 Votes

Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner

     Wow! What a great book! I read this through Hoopla.  This is a must-read for any teen whoever texts while driving or is tempted to text friends they know are driving.  That one text, that one second can change lives and take away things you can never get back. 
     Everyone reacts to death and loss differently. This book meets death head-on.  The main character, Carver has three best friends one day, and the next they are all gone. He blames himself as do others in his community. Somehow he has to find a way to keep living even though he feels guilty to be breathing air.
     Be sure to read this and let me know what you think!

This is the next book I am going to read. It is one of the book pairs from NYSC the free summer audiobooks.

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

     This story is about life in Alaska for a small family who was totally not prepared for the beauties and horrors Alaska would bring them. Lenny's family was not prepared for the nighttime and winter with all the trials faced through the primitive lifestyle Lenny's family chose to follow after.
     Lenny's father and his best friend had been prisoners of war together in Vietnam. Lenny's dad inherited the Alaskan property when his friend died in captivity.  Lenny's dad suffered from PTSD from his years of captivity. Between his drinking and the darkness of the year, the father does even worse than before.
     When I was finished reading it, I felt like I was somehow looking around hoping to get a glimpse of the characters. I wanted them to pick up where they left off and let me back inside their story.
     It is a story more of family and inner survival than about the beauties of the Alaskan wilderness.  Be sure to check it out.

You by Charles Benoit

     Kyle is just starting 10th grade.  His reputation for being the kid who always gets into trouble precedes him as he starts the beginning of the new school year.  Everything is just disappointing and mundane. His attitude is very disenchanted. He is very cynical and wishing he would have done a better job in the 8th grade. Home life is plain, school life isn't any better, his social life is even worse. He has very few friends. 
     Kyle told his best friend about a crush he has on a girl, Ashley. He is too shy to ask Ashley out. These are just a few of the problems going on in Kyle's life. There is no way anyone could have known how it all would end.  Zack has been bullying Kyle and going before Kyle setting situations up so it looks like Kyle has done something he really hasn't done. Something that will get Kyle into trouble.  Everyone just thinks Kyle is all about doing the wrong thing and being at the wrong place at the wrong time, even when he did do the right thing.
     I listened to this audiobook. It was pretty short for an audiobook. I'm not really sure what I think of this book because Kyle is so negative and doomsday in his attitude.  When I finished it I thought it was an average book. But three days later, I really had to strain to remember what my opinion of the book was. Be sure to check it out.  Let me know what you think.
   

Six Hours One Friday by Max Lucado

     I don't usually read more than one book at a time but, I have to admit, that is what I'm doing right now.  I was looking for something to help me prepare for the Easter season when I came across these books by Max Lucado.  I thought Six Hours One Friday sounded very insightful, informative, and personal, so I decided to buy it. Then I saw the other two and got them all at the same time.
     When I was little, and a terrible reader who was constantly struggling to make sense of reading, I would pick a book according to how long it was. The shorter, the better!  So I had to laugh at myself when I evaluated the summaries and was trying to decide which one to read first. And do you know what I did? I picked the skinniest one. He Did this Just for You.  It was incredible!  It is only 64 pages. This, combined with the easy layout, make it easy to read.  There is so much clarity that I am going to have to read it again. It addresses the details of the pain and suffering Jesus endured, even before being crucified, just for me. He addresses a few things I haven't considered before. I strongly recommend it.
     On Calvary's Hill is divided into 40 reading leading up to Easter.  The author has the incredible ability to paint a picture with his words. The details of the events are so real. And with the detail, he includes some very deep insight. This is another excellent book for this time of year, or really, anytime.
     Six Hours One Friday is being offered as an online Bible study right now. I signed up for that too. Though I'm not able to join the discussion due to the time conflicting with school time, I'm hoping to gain some insight from other people who are actually meeting online sharing their thoughts and ideas. There is a Facebook page I've joined to participate in the discussion.
     Be sure to read at least one of these if you are looking for this kind of book. As I said in the beginning, I don't usually read more than one book at a time, or recommend that others do it, but in this case, I have to say I am really gaining a lot of insight as I grow closer to the one who called me close.

Does Anyone Have any Light and Humorous Book Recommendations?

     I'm looking for something funny, light, and entertaining.  Any recommendations?
   

Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's by John Elder Robison

     What a story! If you have anyone in your family, or circle of friends, or even an acquaintance, with Asperger's, you really should read this book.  The author, John, who has Asperger's, explains some of the quirky things people with this diagnosis do and how these things are misinterpreted or punished. He shares his life story in all the trials and humor.

     John's younger brother encouraged him to tell his story to help people understand, first hand, what it is like to live with Asperger's. They shared many experiences over the years, some that his brother helped him navigate.

     John revisits major events in his life and explains what he was actually thinking at the time.  Some heartwrenching experiences. There are highs and lows, but always a better understanding of what the author was dealing with.  

     And in closing, did I say, "You really should read this book!" 

Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo; Lynn Vincent

   

      This book is such an inspiration to me, as a Christian. The main character, Colton, is almost four years old.  He has to have emergency surgery and was clinically dead for a short period of time. Months after the emergency, he starts sharing events of being in heaven, the people he sees, and his experiences there.  He tells his parents about people he met that he didn't even know were part of his family and many other recollections from his experience.
     I highly recommend this book if you want to be encouraged or are struggling with questions of life and making sense of death. It is uplifting and encouraging.

You Need a Budget by Jesse Mecham

     If you have never read a book about personal finance, I STRONGLY recommend this book. It is full of information to help you make a plan for your money in order to build a healthy financial future.
     This is another book I listened to on HOOPLA though due to the nature of the content, including forms to help you get organized and stay organized, you should pair it with the hard copy.
     Jesse's advise is very similar to Dave Ramsey who started the Financial Peace University. Jesse's book is well organized and clearly presented. At only 5 hours in audiobook format, it will be worth your time! 

The Orphan's Tale by Pam Jenoff

     They say that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but I have to say I was really attracted to the book BECAUSE OF the cover picture.  Though I loved the cover, this is a sad story about the lives of two main characters, Noa and Astrid, whose lives intertwine and overlap. It includes the many trials and struggles each woman faced during one of the worst events in history. The book was well written but there were times I felt each of the main characters was being overly dramatic. I didn't think some of the character's actions were true to the character's personality as developed by the writer. It is generally bleak, given the topic.  There is violence and some content not suitable for younger readers.
     I must say I enjoyed using HOOPLA to listen to this story. It has become rather addicting to be able to listen to great stories while I'm busy with tasks that don't require incredible concentration. Sometimes I have to actually pick up the hard copy of the book so I can visualize the trade-off of a rotating pattern of the story being told by various characters.
     It seems like I have listened to several books about the holocaust lately, though I didn't intentionally seek out books about the topic.  I enjoy historical fiction.
 

I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara

     This book was so well researched and written! Having grown up during the time of the Golden State Killer, I often heard stories of his latest victims on the radio.  It was especially interesting to learn details of the years-long investigations into these tragic events.
     The author spent years of her life investigating, collecting information, working with detectives, pouring over notes from past investigations, interviewing victims, and following up on theories to collect the material for this book. She was a "true crime journalist". Michelle even created the website: TrueCrimeDiary.com.
     Though Michelle spent years writing this book, she was not quite finished when she died unexpectantly, at the age of 46, in her sleep. Her husband, Patton Oswalt, worked along with two other men she worked with; Billy Jensen and Paul Haynes, to complete the book. The book was published in February of 2018, almost two years after Michelle's death.  I wish the author could have been alive to see this crime solved.     
     At the time of her death, the killer had not yet been caught. He was charged in August of 2018. He was a U.S. Navy veteran and a former police officer.
     If you like real-life mysteries, you will find this book interesting.