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Book Review: What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez

What the River Knows is a well researched historical fantasy by Isabel Ibañez. Set primarily in Egypt, she takes us on the defiant coming of age story of 19 yr old Inez as she traverses an unfamiliar land while trying to find answers to her parents untimely deaths.

I stepped out of my comfort zone to read What the River Knows— I’m not a huge fan of fantasy— but I’m so glad that I did. The descriptions had me longing to be standing along the Nile and taking part in the excavation of a temple. The use of magic wove beautifully into Egyptian history, and propelled the story forward.

The characters of Inez, Whit, and Ricardo were well written. Incorporating the use of Spanish and Egyptian into the text was a great enhancement. While the ending completely left my head spinning and second guessing everything that happened, I am anxiously awaiting the next chapter.

My only critique is that this book is a slow burn, and feel that it could have used a little more action in spots. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. Publishing date is Oct. 31, 2023..

4 out 5 stars.

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Goodbye 2019 – Hello 2020

Wow! 2019 flew by with several bumps in the road. Mainly the only thing that was completely left behind was my writing, and blogging. I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted anything; stay tuned for more soon!

One of my resolutions for the new decade is to post more for you all, while keeping in line with my writing goals.

Here’s to 2020! Let’s make it a great one!

~Kristen

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1 Year On WordPress

Wow! I can’t believe that a year ago I created this page. When I began It Happened While Writing, I didn’t have much of a plan. For being a relatively private person, the thought of putting my writing out into the world to read was frightening. In fact, I had more than a few panic attacks hitting the publish button.
You all have helped me along my writing journey in so many ways, and for that I will be eternally grateful. I never thought that a year down the road I would’ve hit 700 followers, and I want to thank all of you for your support.
Over the next year I will continue to post original pieces, but much of my time will be dedicated to completing my first novel before beginning the process of finding an agent and subsequently a publisher. I hope you all continue with me on my journey.

~Kristen

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Summer Reading

With Summer just around the corner, what better time to start thinking about what you want to read. Over the last few weeks this has been something that I have been thinking about a lot; this year I have made myself a resolution to step out of my normal comfort zone and try something new.

So far, I’ve read my first autobiography: Lauren Graham’s Talking As Fast As I Can. If you’re in need for a good laugh I highly recommend this one. Lauren’s personality mimics that of her role of Lorelai Gilmore in Gilmore Girls. I found myself laughing out loud while reading this, and enjoying every minute of it. It had great behind the scenes insight on Gilmore Girls and A Year In the Life. I definitely recommend this one– a great summer read!

I just finished reading JoJo Moyes’ The Girl You Left Behind. This story entwines present day with the past. It’s well written, and builds a strong connection between the reader and the main characters–much like her book Me Before You. I enjoyed reading this book, and up until the end it kept me guessing how things were going to turn out.

Currently, I’m reading Danielle Steel’s A Good Woman. I’ve never been a diehard fan of her writing, but I did love her book No Greater Love, based around the Titanic and the roaring 20’s. A Good Woman is also based in this era, but so far I find this book a little lacking. I guessed the first twist chapters before it happened, but I find myself still being drawn to the main character’s story. I’ll keep with it, and hope that at the end I come to love it as well.

I’ve already started compiling a list of books that I’m going to read over the next few months, and I would love to hear your thoughts or suggestions. For my first True Crime book I’ve chosen Helter Skelter. This one might take me a while to get through, but what I’ve read so far it’s unbelievable how much disregard law enforcement had for the initial crime scene. I’ll also be reading Brooklyn by Colm Toibin. The movie based on this book is one of my favorites from the last few years, and I can’t wait to see how the book compares.

I hope that this gives you some ideas, and please feel free to comment with any suggestions!

Kristen

 

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Titanic: 105 years

It’s hard to believe it’s already been 105 years since the sinking of the Titanic. To this day, this tragedy is still listed as one of the most horrific maritime disasters to date. For 20 years the history of the Titanic has been a large part of my life– I’ve read many books on the subject, and keep up with the newest theories about why the Titanic sank to the bottom of the ocean. The latest one that I’ve seen states that there was a large fire in one of the boilers that compromised the structural integrity of the steel around the area. Unfortunately, the iceberg hit exactly this area which could have led to the easiness that the ice cut through the ship.

Almost 3 years ago my husband I had the chance to visit the last port of call in Cobh, Ireland; in 1912, this area was known as Queensland. Seeing the artifacts from both the Titanic and White Star line made this event even more real to me. As I read the names of those lost at sea that fateful day, my heart went out to the families who never got to see their loved ones again.  Below, I’ve included two pictures from the museum–I apologize for the glare. The poem was written by an Irishman from the area.

 

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Like I promised, here are my thoughts on the Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts ride in Universal Orlando.

The building, the realistic animatronic Goblins that you walk past in line–all these exceeded my expectations. However, when it came down to the 3D technology used, I found it a little lacking. I don’t know if there was an issue the day that we were in the park, but the scenes were so blurry that it made it hard to figure out what we were actually looking at. For a park that put so much time and money into the design of a realistic Wizarding World, I was a little disappointed. The 3D in the Amazing Spiderman ride which opened in 1999 was clearer to see and an overall better experience.

That said, even the 3D issue won’t keep me from going back again and enjoying the whole wizarding experience.

 

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Hi everyone! I apologize in the delay of my first post…it seemed like life got in the way the last week and kept me from posting. If you’ve read my “about” page, you already know a little about me, but I’ll fill you in on a little more. My name is Kristen, and I am starting this blog to post my thoughts on various subjects including books, movies, or anything that might come up along the way. Of course, I would love to read your comments or feedback.

The name of this blog “It Happened While Writing” is a nod to one of my favorite classic movies “It Happened One Night” featuring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert. This movie means so much to me and my childhood, that on a vacation to Gettysburg, my husband and I happened upon an antique vendor selling a promotional picture of the two leads…of course I had to have it! For years, my husband was a good sport and dealt with it sitting in the coveted position on the night stand next to the bed. Clark Gable was one of my Grandmother’s favorite actors, and because of this she got me watching a lot of his films.

Fun fact: there is a Clark Gable museum located in Cadiz, OH. I’ve personally visited this museum twice; it’s located in the house where Clark was born and contains pictures and memorabilia.

Currently, I’m en route to Florida where I will be immersed in the world of one of my favorite book series Harry Potter! I can’t wait to see Diagon Alley and ride the Hogwarts Express; I will let you all know my thoughts when I get back.

Until next time,

Kristen

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