Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult

                                                              

Title: Wish You Were Here

Author: Jodi Picoult

Genre: Fiction

Synopsis: Diana O’Toole is perfectly on track. She will be married by thirty, done having kids by thirty-five, and move out to the New York City suburbs, all while climbing the professional ladder in the cutthroat art auction world. She’s an associate specialist at Sotheby’s now, but her boss has hinted at a promotion if she can close a deal with a high-profile client. She’s not engaged just yet, but she knows her boyfriend, Finn, a surgical resident, is about to propose on their romantic getaway to the Galápagos—days before her thirtieth birthday. Right on time.

But then a virus that felt worlds away has appeared in the city, and on the eve of their departure, Finn breaks the news: It’s all hands on deck at the hospital. He has to stay behind. You should still go, he assures her, since it would be a shame for all of their nonrefundable trip to go to waste. And so, reluctantly, she goes.

Almost immediately, Diana’s dream vacation goes awry. Her luggage is lost, the Wi-Fi is nearly nonexistent, and the hotel they’d booked is shut down due to the pandemic. In fact, the whole island is now under quarantine, and she is stranded until the borders reopen. Completely isolated, she must venture beyond her comfort zone. Slowly, she carves out a connection with a local family when a teenager with a secret opens up to Diana, despite her father’s suspicion of outsiders.

In the Galápagos Islands, where Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection was formed, Diana finds herself examining her relationships, her choices, and herself—and wondering if when she goes home, she too will have evolved into someone completely different. - Back Cover

My Thoughts

My mom and I went to see Jodi Picoult at the Cuyahoga County Public library on her book tour for Wish You Were Here and each received a signed copy of the book when we attended! It was a super fun event and Picoult mentioned that this book had a huge twist during her discussion with the moderator. 

As I was reading I didn't really notice anything that could foreshadow a twist for the majority of part one of the book. Then little things started to make me think, 'hmm maybe this is what is going to happen,' but then the story would go on and I would think, ' no that would be too crazy if that actually happened,' and I was lulled back into complacency. 

Then, BAM, the 'no, that is too crazy' twist ACTUALLY HAPPENED and I was MAD. Not because it didn't make sense, not because it couldn't happen, but because of what it meant for Diana and several other main characters. I was so invested in the novel that I was angry on their behalf. That tells you how good it is. When I continued past and onto the next part of the book (after putting it down for a day to get over my strong reaction) I felt vindicated to find that Diana felt the exact same way that I did about what happened.

I would totally recommend this book to anyone, no matter what genre they typically read, because it was that good. Also, I now want to travel to the Galapagos.

Comment below if you have read this book or have suggestions for others like it!

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To see more from the author, visit the website linked above

The Heir Apparent by Jane Ridley

                                                         

 Title: The Heir Apparent: A life of Edward VII the Playboy Prince

Author: Jane Ridley

Genre: Nonfiction

Synopsis: A complete biography of King Edward VII of England. 

My Thoughts

It has been a while since my last review, so I'm glad to be posting here again in the new year. It actually took me over a month to read this biography of Edward VII. I had been trying to find a novel that featured Edward the VII, or Bertie as he was known by his family and friends, but little is written about him in the fictional world. So much of royal history and fiction is written about his mother, Queen Victoria, and his grandsons, Edward the VIII (who abdicated) and George VI (another Bertie), and of course his great-granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II. I really wanted to know more about him and was thrilled when I found this biography. 

This is an all-encompassing biography. It starts from the time Queen Victoria discovers she is pregnant with Bertie and ends at his death. It gives insight into his parents' lives, his siblings, his education, his marriage and many affairs, his children, and his relationships with the monarchs of other countries (who he was related to by the many marriages of his siblings). Then the reader learns about his reign as monarch, his policies, his working relationship with prime ministers, his focus on foreign policy, and his shift from 'playboy prince' to dutiful monarch. It is hard to believe how much of his life is chronicled in this work, especially considering that he tried to eliminate anything related to his personal life upon his death. 

I thoroughly enjoyed learning all about Edward VII, and though it took me a while to read, it did not feel difficult to get through. I recommend it to anyone who is interested in British royal history.

Comment below if you have read this book or have suggestions for others like it!

To buy this book from Amazon now, click on the image at the top of the post.
To see more from the author, visit the website linked above