HER BEAUTIFUL MIND by Janet Ake - Review & Giveaway


When I first started reading Janet Ake's novel, HER BEAUTIFUL MIND, memories of reading Cheryl Strayed's, WILD came to mind. But that's where the similarities somewhat ended. Janet Ake's book is a fictional account of a woman who hikes the Appalachian Trail as opposed to Strayed's, memoir of hiking on the Pacific Crest Trail. But what both of them have in common, is they are stories of self-discovery and self-acceptance. 

Ariella Dobbs is a mathematics genius who grew up in the mountains of Georgia. Her intelligence gets her an education at MIT and an entry into living in the upper crust of the East Coast. She changes the way she dresses, talks and acts. When Ariella finds herself dating and in love with New York's prominent Hudson Calder and all that comes with that, she finds herself insecure.

Ariella and Hudson use ordered patterns of numbers that lead them to theories which they use to develop new software. The day their software is to be introduced, Ariella learns Hudson has been leading a double life and has stolen her intellectual property. Or has he? Ariella leaves New York for home and decides to escape into the woods rather than face his deceit.

Ariella has grown up hiking and she knows hitting the Appalachian Trail is the perfect way to heal and move on from the trauma of being deceived. It's there she partakes in new experiences, new friends and finds a new appreciation for who she was and is.     

Ake's prose had me hiking right along side Ariella. I could feel every easy descent followed by a brutal uphill battle. I understood her anger and overwhelming desire to move forward and regain her strength as a fierce woman. I believe HER BEAUTIFUL MIND will resonate with anyone who has lost their power and wants to take it back. It's a powerful story.


Janet Ake has always loved words and the stories they create. That's why reading and books are two of her favorite things. It's no wonder she grew up to be a librarian. Retired now, she has the time to pursue her other favorites like hiking, snorkeling, and writing. Seeing her name on the cover of a published book has been a life-long dream that has now come true with the publication of her first novel, Her Beautiful Mind. She has more stories just waiting to be told.

Thanks to Suzy Approved Book Tours we have one copy to giveaway. Just tell us if you've ever gone hiking, or would like to? What would it mean to you? We'll announce a winner soon. Good luck.

GIVEAWAY: USA only please

Comments

  1. Peggy RussoJune 3, 2021 at 1:38 PM

    When my boys were cub scouts I was a den leader for 8 years. My assistant and I used to take my den (of about 8-10 scouts) on hikes a few times a year. Sometimes we were just hiking and other times we were on a hunt for things in nature (animal footprints, certain plants and leaves, nests, insects and small critters). It was fun and great exercise. I think I enjoyed it as much as the kids did.

    ReplyDelete
  2. NancyJune 3, 2021 at 3:08 PM

    No, I have never done much hiking. It is not really my thing.

    Nancy
    allibrary (at) aol (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  3. KelleyJune 3, 2021 at 4:23 PM

    I have not gone hiking. Thank you kindly.

    ReplyDelete
  4. travelerJune 4, 2021 at 6:50 AM

    I hike in the canyon where I live. What a beautiful and scenic vista we are fortunate to enjoy.

    ReplyDelete
  5. travelerJune 4, 2021 at 6:50 AM

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  6. bn100June 4, 2021 at 4:59 PM

    yes, relaxing

    bn100candg at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  7. Alicia HaneyJune 5, 2021 at 1:12 PM

    Yes I have gone hiking, but it has been about a year, I mostly just go on short little hikes and walks now, for sure I can walk longer on walks then on hikes. Thank you for the chance and thank for for sharing this book review, the book sounds like a great read. Have a Great weekend. aliciabhaney at sbcglobal dot net

    ReplyDelete
  8. Book Lover in FloridaJune 5, 2021 at 2:52 PM

    I will go easy hiking where I don't have to deal with critters and things so more of nature walks on trails than in the woods LOL

    ReplyDelete
  9. Xia LeeJune 6, 2021 at 2:10 PM

    I love going hiking. Plenty of nature and fresh air

    ReplyDelete
  10. LelandleeJune 6, 2021 at 2:16 PM

    Would love to go hiking more to connect with nature and get more exercise (Sellhighbuylow@hotmail.com)

    ReplyDelete
  11. JoJune 13, 2021 at 5:02 AM

    Not in years, use to as a child

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

HOW I'LL KILL YOU by Ren DeStefano - Spotlight

Image
  Make him want you. Make him love you. Make him dead. In Ren DeStafano's novel, HOW I'LL KILL YOU (Berkley), i dentical triplets have a nasty habit of killing their boyfriends, and see what happens when the youngest commits their worst crime yet: falling in love with her mark. Sissy has an...interesting family. Always the careful one, always the cautious one, she has handled the cleanup while her serial killer sisters have carved a path of carnage across the U.S. Now, as they arrive in the Arizona heat, Sissy must step up and embrace the family pastime of making a man fall in love and then murdering him. Her first target? A young widower named Edison—and their mutual attraction is instant.  Then something happens that Sissy never anticipated: She begins to feel protective of Edison, and before she can help it, she’s fallen in love. But the clock is ticking, and her sisters are growing restless. It becomes clear that the gravesite she chooses will hide a body no matter what ha...
Read more

INSTAMOM by Chanel Guertin - Review & Giveaway

Image
It's the influencer's golden rule: know your niche. In INSTAMOM (KensingtonBooks) by Chantel Guertin, Kit Kidding knows her audience. Kit promotes living and enjoying a childfree life in her instagram account hashtag #childfree. Kit believes women who choose not to become mothers and not to have children should not be judged or feel guilty.  But things change when Kit meets a smart and sexy dad with a daughter. She's smitten by Will MacGregor and his whip-smart darling eight year-old daughter, Maddie. Kit's picture perfect childfree life faces being turned completely upside down. You know where this is heading so I won't tell you anymore. Except to say, that INSTAMOM is about love and making life choices. It's about being true to yourself and being able to change, even though it may modify everything you once thought was true. It's a fun romcom you'll want to put in your summer bag and take to the pool or beach. Remember to always wear sunscreen. Chantel...
Read more

CATCH US WHEN WE FALL by Juliette Fay - Review & Giveaway

Image
  Let me start by saying I absolutely loved reading, CATCH US WHEN WE FALL (WilliamMorrow) by Juliette Fay. It has everything a reader can hope for in a novel. It's an interesting compelling story with really developed characters and it touches on a subject that many readers have been impacted by. Eighteen year old Cass Macklin and Ben McGreavy partied their way through their twenties. They were drunk most of the decade. Cass wakes up one morning to find Ben dead and she's broke, homeless, frightened and pregnant. Cass having lost her mother to alcohol poisoning is determined to get sober and have this baby. But she has no family, friends, money, skills or hope. In desperation she turns to Ben's brother, Scott, Red Sox third baseman who has watched them struggle for the past decade. He has a temper, problems of his own and he begs her to have an abortion, but she refuses. He sends her to rehab and when she returns, they make a deal neither one is sure they can live up to. C...
Read more