In 1936 in Troublesome Creek, KY lives 19 year old Cussy Carter, who is last female with the rare Blue People Ancestry. She only has her Pa to keep her company so she decides to join the Pack Horse Library Project of Kentucky. Riding across the treacherous mountain ranges rain, shine or snow to deliver books to her patrons, she is determined to win them over and show them the amazing information and world that books can bring people. The more she visits and the farther she travels she slowly creates a network of friends. But hardships are part of Cussy's life and even though she makes many gains with her patrons, many people in Troublesome Creek see Cussy as problem, devilish for her blue skin and would stop at nothing to sure her of her "problem".

Now this book may seem like a fantasy to begin with as the main character Cussy, aka Bluet, is blue skinned, but assure you this book is based upon a rare condition known as Argyria and is caused when silver builds up within the body. The skin will appear blue especially the places that get the most sun exposure. Now that we have determined this book is not a fantasy one, I just have to say, I Loved this book. It was a great story centered around Cussy and her just trying to live her life the best she can as a Blue but also trying to spread the amazing ability of reading to those who are unable to get to town to read or need help learning to read. You get to see throughout the book the amount of lives that she touches, changes and how just delivering books, any type of books, she has made those people's lives better, and Cussy relishes each time she is able to achieve this.

Cussy is a beautiful character, strong in both mind and will, she tackles so many obstacles through her life, and only makes herself better for it. Even when she gets beaten or is afraid she gets back on her mule each time she makes sure to get the books to those she knows will bring the people joy. She is selfless throughout the book, and though her Pa may not like it, it is who Cussy is.

This book truly highlights the racism that people experience for being different, and in this case a different color. Cussy is seen as inferior to those around her, and that her blueness must be caused by something unnatural or devilish (this is what one character believes and believes he can beat it out of her). There is heartache after heartache, test after test in this book by the white characters and Cussy's amazing character shines through it all. Honestly, you think more cannot go wrong for her and yet there is always a new low that other people can sink to in order to put people down. Unfortunately, there are many points within this book where the same rhetoric is used today or some of the same beliefs, maybe not toward the Blue people as it is a known medical condition, but towards people of color and visible minorities.

I really enjoyed this book and the story that Richardson weaved with the research she has done on Argyria disease as well as the book providers of this time. I highly recommended this book, it is a amazing story.

Enjoy!!!!

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Book source ~ Tour

Marcie Horton has connected once before with a spirit when she was thirteen. But that was four years ago and she feels like she’s missing something by not having any further contact with anything…other. She’s hoping a summer working on her mother’s archeological dig will distract her from a feeling of missing out on something big. Joined by her older brother Eric and his girlfriend Renee, they barely get settled in when two graduate students let the three of them and another student, 19-yr-old Leo, in on a secret. There is much more out there than any of them realize. Marcie is about to get her wish - something incredible is about to happen. The real question is: Is she ready for it?

This is a book heavy on how humanity is shitting where we eat. Too graphic? How about how we are killing the very thing that supports us? Too dramatic? Too bad. We are. If you don’t like books that point out this fact, even if it is a fictional book, then you may not enjoy this as much as I have. Now, to the story itself…

Marcie is a pretty level-headed 17-yr-old. She’s had a life-altering encounter with a spirit when she was 13, so maybe that has something to do with it. In any case, the story is told from her POV so it helps she’s not an over-emotional idiot. Side characters are interesting even if Renee makes me want to slap her upside the head occasionally. And don’t get me started on Leo. Marcie is more forgiving than I would be. Oh! Did I not mention there’s a little hotness going on between Marcie and Leo? Ah. Summer love.

Lorraine and Zeke are a bit irritating in their roles, but I get it. And you will, too. I find the idea of a Universal Energy Field fascinating. I want it to be a thing. In fact, my belief is, since we are mostly water and energy then when we die our energy goes back out into the ether and comes back as another being. So, I guess I believe a bit in reincarnation. And that’s why I believe in ghosts. That energy can get stuck and next thing you know, wooohoooo things going bang. Anyway, I enjoyed this journey of Marcie’s and hope she and the others can bring about some change before it’s too late.

Please note that I received this book via NetGalley. This did not affect my rating or review.

Not much to say about this besides this was not a book for me. It dragged. Endlessly. I stopped and started this thing about a dozen times and finally finished it because I got tired of seeing it on my NetGalley dashboard. It's a horror novel set during World War I that had way too much dialogue. I mean to the point that I went, please shut up. All of you. Also I feel like I have seen this book played out via movies before. I think at one point I started Googling things and then realized it didn't matter cause I just didn't like this book. It also appears to have been updated and re-released every year according to Goodreads which to me was another bad sign that I wish I had known about before clicking on the damn request button. Mental note, in 2020 I am going to research books before getting click happy on NetGalley.

"The Damned" is the first book in "The Darkest Hand" trilogy. Taking place in 1914 in the city of Arras, a priest is murdered. The Catholic Inquisition (I guess they are still a thing at this point, no, I am not looking that up to see if that's true or just literary license) sends one of their inquisitors, Poldek Tacit (seriously that name was hilariously awful) to investigate. While this is going on with Poldek (seriously, that name sucks) trying to investigate, British and German forces are fighting across No Man's Land. 

I don't even know what to say here. Poldek is found by the Church after he is found holding on to his mother who was murdered and raped. So yeah, we are still using the rape and death of a woman to "mold" men. Cause if women were not there to develop men what good are we? Can we stop doing this in 2020? I would love it. Thank you. 

There's also another character named Sandrine who is trying to get a soldier (British) Henry to leave the area. Yeah it sounds like I just got booted into another book there didn't it? This is the whole freaking book. A lot of stuff happening that doesn't seem connected that drags on forever. 

The writing was so so and the flow was awful. It takes too long to get to the whole who are the damned thing and of course I guessed at it because I have read horror books before. I don't mind if books revel in cliches, but at least make it worth my time. 

The setting of the book as I said above is during World War I. There was so much information being thrown at me I just wanted to scream at some point. I am not one of those people who love to read endless books or watch movies about World War I or World War II. Also every time I read "No Man's Land" I kept thinking of the Wonder Woman scene depicting that place and then started to wish I was just watching that movie all over again (though the third act is a mess). 

I have zero intention of reading books number 2 or 3.