The Sacrament | 
pickAn interesting story about religion, choices, and dwelling in the past. There is some aspects of mystery and procedural drama that help propel the narrative. The MC, Sister Johanna, is tasked with revisiting an investigation from 20 years earlier in her career.
TW for pedophilia
#bookclub
“He had committed a crime.”
Well, that‘s dramatic. And, a great start. Let‘s hope the rest of the book lives up to that opening line.
#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl
pickI really enjoyed this: Sister Johanna is asked to investigate abuse allegations against priests. Years after one of her investigations failed, she is asked to go back to Iceland as a witness has new testimony. Beautifully written, a "crime" novel but so much more than that.
At last he said:
Right now, Finnur is sitting in his living room, blaming himself for not having done more when Stefán went to him all those years ago. Stefán is blaming himself for having failed his son. And we are blaming ourselves for having made no headway.
The only person who doesn't blame himself for a damn thing is that wretched, fucking headmaster.
pickThis was a bit confusing for me with all the back and forth between past and present but a decent read all in all.
pickAn elderly nun is sent by the Vatican to Iceland to investigate reports of abuse by the headmaster. Iceland is also where a woman the nun has loved for years now lives. The story flows back and forth and circles around her investigation, her thoughts about sin and how loving a woman has impacted her life, and her thoughts about right and wrong. I loved the writing and could not put it down.
I waited six months for the ebook to be available from the library. A Litsy review turned me on to it. I‘m on page 81 and I cannot put it down. This is a book I would never have been aware of if not for Litsy. Just want to take a moment to express my great thanks to all in the community who offer reviews, provide emotional support, and brighten my world.
pickUnnar Grétarsson watched as his hero, Batman appears at the top of the tower. Locked in a broom closet Unnar hopes he‘ll come to the rescue. Instead, the figures drops like a stone to the snow below. Twenty years later, Unnar contacts the nun who was tasked with the investigation of what was actually the death of the priest that ran the school he attended.
A beautifully written, lyrical novel; at times disturbing. A very talented author.
bailedI don‘t know why I‘m not digging this audio book - seems like it should fit into my wheelhouse. But I‘m not very interested at the 35% mark. 😒
pickThe first thing to know going into this is it moves very slowly, going back and forth in time without warning even mid paragraph. Knowing this now, I couldn‘t put this down. The writing is incredible and the story will keep unfurling especially since you don‘t always know who is speaking or what time we are in even with a single narrator. I can‘t say I loved it, but it is definitely worth reading.
so-soThis was okay. Parts worked - like Sister Johanna's memories of her past. Parts that didn't work were the parts why she returned to Iceland to investigate the church/school and those were convoluted.
Saw a review that said the audio made this one really great. I have it from Netgalley but saw I could listen to it via Hoopla. 👍 so far!
pickI adored this line. Beautiful writing, unexpected plot twists, a “holy” wonderful protagonist. I did love this story.
Randomly picked this one up and the main character is a lesbian nun. Picking up random books and then learning that the main character is part of the LGBTQ+ community is a common occurrence for me.
pickPick
Set in Iceland in the 80s and present day
Sister Johanna is called back to Iceland because a boy who witnessed a priest fall from a clocktower is now a grown man and wants to spill the tea about what he saw that day.
Also, a theme of chasing after love and being true to your desires. The writing is sparse and beautiful.
Thanks to #Netgalley
