Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian (Adult Historical Thriller Review)

Hour of the Witch
by Chris Bohjalian
Published by Doubleday Books
on May 4, 2021
Genre: Adult, Historical Fiction, Thriller
Length: 406 pages

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Synopsis:
A young Puritan woman--faithful, resourceful, but afraid of the demons that dog her soul--plots her escape from a violent marriage in this riveting and propulsive historical thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Flight Attendant. 

My Thoughts:

Hour of the Witch is set in Boston, Massachusetts in 1662 just as the 'witch' hangings we're starting to happen more frequently in the area and is about a young woman named Mary Deerfield who petitions for a divorce from her cruelly abusive husband and is subsequently accused of witchcraft. 

Twenty-four-year-old Mary is the second wife of Thomas Deerfield, a man who dips into drink a little too often but seems to hide all of his outbursts for his wife alone so no one quite believes her when Mary turns up with bruises, and eventually an even worse wound that prompts her to leave her husband even though no woman she knew had done it before. But with whispers of witches circling the community, Mary must fight a bitter battle to win her freedom.

I love historical fiction, especially if it has darker elements, and this may be one of my newest favorites! 
I have read many like it but this one really stands out for me, and not just because it had the ending I really really hoped for. There's also a big dark mystery at the center of this story that keeps us wondering who is innocent and who is scheming. The ending is so very thrilling that I think even non-historical fiction readers might enjoy this one! 

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Born A Crime: Stories From A South African Childhood by Trevor Noah (Adult Nonfiction Book Review)

Born A Crime:
Stories From A South African Childhood
by Trevor Noah

Published by Doubleday Canada
on November 15, 2016
Genre: Adult, Nonfiction, Memoir
Length: 285 pages

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Literary Awards:
NAACP Image Award for Debut Author and for Biography / Autobiography (2017)
Thurber Prize for American Humor (2017)
Evergreen Teen Book Award Nominee (2019)
Lincoln Award Nominee (2019)

Synopsis:
The compelling, inspiring, and comically sublime New York Times bestseller about one man's coming-of-age, set during the twilight of apartheid and the tumultuous days of freedom that followed.

 Trevor Noah's unlikely path from apartheid South Africa to the desk of The Daily Show began with a criminal act: his birth. Born A Crime is the story of a mischievous young boy who grows into a restless young man as he struggles to find himself in a world where he was never supposed to exist. It is also the story of that young man's relationship with his fearless, rebellious, and fervently religious mother--his teammate, a woman determined to save her son from the cycle of poverty, violence, and abuse that would ultimately threaten her own life.

The eighteen personal essays collected here are by turns hilarious, dramatic, and deeply affecting. His stories weave together to form a moving and searingly funny portrait of a boy making his way through a damaged world in a dangerous time, armed only with a keen sense of humor and a mother's unconventional, unconditional love.

My Thoughts:
Born during apartheid in South Africa to a black mother and a white father, Trevor Noah's existence was considered a crime. He spent his childhood hidden away from the world and his growing years searching for his place in a divided country. In this humorous coming-of-age story, Noah describes the laws and social norms of apartheid and how he found his place in it.

I almost never watch cable but I've seen The Daily Show a few times and enjoyed Noah's sense of humor. That really shined through the first part of this book as he describes his childhood, his mother's religion and parenting techniques, and how the world treated him as a boy set apart. His mother's religious stories were a hoot but I also enjoyed how much of a powerhouse she was and how she absolutely did her own thing even though it was sometimes illegal. The end of the story has a good lesson in domestic violence.

I enjoyed how Noah picked apart the differences in races during apartheid and how he never quite fit in with one or the other and how differently he was treated because of it but still found his place despite that.  I thought that a lot of his story was quite relatable, perhaps because of our similar age group, or perhaps because I grew up in a small rural town with high racial tension and feel desensitized to its' existence, but nothing in this book really stood out as overly different except maybe the gang-related transportation system. Even the pirated music money hustle was way too familiar.

Also, I noted that other than his humor showing through his writing, there is very little in this book that shares his actual comedy career or what led him to it. I guess I was expecting a little more of what led him to that career but it didn't seem to come up.

Setting:
Johannesburg, South Africa

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Last Stop on the Reindeer Express by Maudie Powell-Tuck & Karl James Mountford (Picture Book Review)

Last Stop on the Reindeer Express

by Maudie Powell-Tuck

Illustrated by: Karl James Mountford

Published by Little Tiger Press

on September 7, 2017

Length: 32 pages

Age range: 3-7 years old

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Synopsis:

Mia misses her Grandpa. Without him, Christmas has lost its magic. But when Mia discovers a world within a mysterious post box, she is whisked away on a truly wonderful adventure over sparkling seas and streets of paper stars. But what will Mia find at the end of her journey?

A magical tale of love and adventure brought to life by peep-through pages, lift-the-flaps and breathtaking illustrations from Karl James Mountford (The Curious Case of the Missing Mammoth). Last Stop on the Reindeer Express is a wonderful way to help children articulate their feelings when spending Christmas away from a parent, grandparent, or sibling. 

My Thoughts:

 This is such an incredibly sweet Christmas story! 


Mia is off to send her grandfather a letter when she comes across a strange postbox that opens into a shop that opens into a forest where she finds a reindeer that flies her all the way to her grandfather to deliver her letter in person. 

I believe this is my new favorite Christmas-themed picture book. The story is sweet and endearing but the illustrations and interactive lift-the-flaps make this book extra special. The lift-the-flaps are not like the typical ones you find in baby books. There are doors to open, windows to look through, a card to open, and more! 

There are also strategically and artistically placed 'cut-outs' throughout the book to show off the moon through the trees, the stars in the sky or the mountains beyond the rooftops of the village Mia flies over. 
All of these fun elements make the overall story that much more fun!

The full-page illustrations are exceptionally amazing. I love the excess detail, the busy backgrounds, and the different textures on every surface. The people are all incredibly friendly-looking and the animals are oh so cute!

This festive picture book is one you will definitely want in your holiday collection. It would make a great gift to a grandchild that may or may not have the chance to see their grandparent or another loved one during the holidays but I think everyone will love the magic of this story! 

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