A typical Gabriel Allon book which actually had two parts to it which Made it longer than usual. It was good and enjoyable.

The Way I Used To Be was heartbreaking. The plot, characters, and what eventually happens broke me. The main character, Eden was once a spirited young girl until Kevin, her brother's best friend really r her. This is a story that should be shared throughout. The message is clearly worthy. For Eden, that pushed down trauma only hurt her more. She runs away from herself and all she's ever known - her family, friends, home. Her high schools years abruptly shift, until it's too unbearable. It frustrated me because of her silence. She never told anyone. I know that this book taught me a lot.

If you're looking for nonstop action, then this is the book for you! I love CIA/FBI thrillers, and this new character for me, the Gray Man, was terrific. The story of an off-the-books hero, intervening to get information into the hands of the right people before a political debacle was just what I needed for a "light" summer book. If you like books like Daniel Silva, Vince Flynn or Brad Thor, this will be a good choice. Lots of action between the good guys and the baddies. Women heroes in it, too. And villains!!

As I have read it, the Scarlet Letter is a fictional story inspired by historical events with major themes of religion, guilt, and human morals. Hester Prynne is publicly shamed for having a child outside her marriage and is forced to wear a red garment on her clothes as a constant reminder of her shame and guilt. Her daughter, Pearl, also serves as a reminder of her crime and plays a supernatural role in the story. It is revealed that Hester’s husband is not dead, but now goes by Roger Chillingworth and chooses to hide his identity, now becoming the village doctor. Hester had her affair with the Young Minister Mr. Dimmesdale but she keeps this fact a secret from the public during the course of her punishment. Despite this, Mr. Dimmesdale suffers by becoming physically weak and holding a hand over his heart, which conceals a (physical or metaphorical) letter A mark on his skin: the same letter sewn into Hester’s garment. Over time, Roger Chillingworth figures out that Mr. Dimmesdale is the man behind the crime and he begins to enjoy watching him suffer, causing him to become evil and connected to the devil (the minister does not realize this until Hester tells him). As years, progress, Mr. Dimmesdale's health continues to decline; Roger Chillingworth, who originally moved in with the minister to watch his health, becomes consumed by revenge and only worsens his state. After meeting in the woods and telling Mr. Dimmesdale of his "enemy", Hester and Mr. Dimmesdale devise a plan to travel to Europe (but soon realize they will never be able to escape the devil personified in Roger Chillingworth). In the climax event of the story, the Election Proceedings, Mr. Dimmesdale becomes revitalized (due to his motivation to speak the truth and the promise that his suffering will soon be over) and delivers an electrifying Election Sermon. As soon as the minister finished his sermon, all the energy left his body and he began to die. Wanting to die entirely truthful, he calls Pearl and Hester onto the scaffold and finally admits his part in the sin and his remorse for deceiving everyone over 7 years. He also reveals a literal Scarlet Letter "A" on his chest. After making a few final remarks to Hester, Pearl, and the general public, Mr. Dimmesdale dies on the scaffold, causing the public to go into shock. Roger Chillingworth dies within the same year and leaves Hester and Pearl with estates in both Europe and the colonies, causing the family to gain great wealth. The story ends with Hester returning to her New England cottage to live out the end of her life (continuing to wear the scarlet letter) and suggests that Pearl is living a happy married life in Europe with a newborn child. Overall, I thought the story was interesting, unique, and a great example of symbolism. The text even refers to talismans throughout the text and I believe they are a major part of the story's depth. The scaffold and scarlet letter are the most prevalent physical talismans, but Roger Chillingworth and Pearl serve as physical symbols for morals and virtue. I also think there is symbolism in the usage of reflections and alter personalities, though I’m not sure if it reflects different realms or the evil and pure sides of humans. Pearl is a very special case in the story, serving as a symbol in a variety of ways. I interpreted her as being a supernatural being who sends messages from Heaven and the universe (like a bridge or messenger between the spiritual and living world). At the same time, she is a deeply natural/wild being, known for being one with the forest and utilizing the color green. There is symbolism in her name, Pearl, as it usually represents purity, despite Pearl consistently being described as a physical representation of the Scarlet Letter. With Mr. Dimmesdale's death, Pearl is described as finally developing empathy and no longer tormenting her mother as a "messenger of anguish". To me, this implies that Pearl knew more than she was letting on, was a spiritual being with a mission to communicate spiritual messages, and was only able to be a fully functional member of society (for the time standards) when both parents were truthful and present in her life. In a way, Pearl carried the central themes of the text.

This book was well written. The author expressed some incredibly insightful ideas beautifully. The story line itself was average. There was domestic abuse which was difficult to read.

A fun, light romance. It was a cute read. A few moments that kind of took me out of the storyline, but overall I enjoyed it for what it is.

This book is really interesting. It is about a boy who ran away from home to live in the woods and how he survives.

I didn’t like this one as much, but I was proud to read it with just some help

Very interesting and thoughtful book. Good for anyone with a negative habit, who is committed to change.

I love learning new fancy words with Fancy Nancy. I also pretended that I needed glasses one time.