1.31.2018 - The Great Alone

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, and Kristin Hannah for the opportunity to read and review her latest work - it is fabulous!  I'm a huge fan of Kristin Hannah's work and this will not disappoint.

Set in the early 1970s, this was a time when women couldn't get their own credit card without their husband's permission and domestic abuse was swept under the rug.  The Allbright family is always just scraping by - Ernt is a former POW in the Vietnam War and came back with what would now be diagnosed as PTSD - nightmares, violent attacks, unable to hold a job.  His wife Cora is still in love with the Ernt of Before and says that he is sick and you don't abandon someone if they are sick.  Daughter Leni is used to switching schools and constantly moving.  Ernt eventually moves them to Alaska - the Alaska that is so remote and beautiful but very inhospitable, especially to those unprepared for its own cruelties.  With the help of the close-knit community, the Allbrights start figuring out how to survive.  However, the long winters of almost all day darkness make Ernt worse.  Cora and Leni have to learn to navigate him and their new world.

This is the story of powerful strong women who roll up their shirtsleeves and do what needs to be done.  It's the story of love - and all the different forms that takes.  Hannah's beautiful writing literally transports you into the Alaskan wilderness where danger can come at any time but also speaks of a lifestyle that changes your soul.

Such an amazing book - highly recommended!

1.29.2018 - The Burial Society

Many thanks to NetGalley, Ballantine Books and Nina Sadowsky for the opportunity to read and review this book - I loved it and couldn't put it down!

Like her first book, Just Fall, this is a finely-crafted psychological thriller but I liked it even better.  Constructed with short chapters and alternating points of view, this story is spooled out in a unique and totally satisfying way.  I especially loved the little precursors to each section.

I don't want to give too much away because you need to just read this book without knowing much!  Catherine is the "narrator" of this book and her portions of the story are told in first person.  She is in charge of The Burial Society - a secret organization that takes women out of abuse situations and sets them up with new lives. 

The plot centers around the Burrows family - dad Brian, mom Mallory - who had gone missing previously and presumed dead, son Jake, daughter Natalie as well as Uncle Frank, Brian's brother.  The rest of the chapters are told in the voices of this family.  The family is in Paris for Brian's job when another tragedy befalls.

There is a lot of mystery, secrets, intrigue going on in this book and I raced through it to figure it all out.  Enough said - read it!

1.27.2018 - The Girlfriend

Many thanks to NetGalley, Kensington Publishing and Michelle Frances for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Clear your schedules now and read this book when it is published on Tuesday!  It's a long book but it won't matter - I literally could not put this one down because my heart was pounding to see what was going to happen next.

Laura Cavendish has revolved her life around her son Daniel, now 24 and in medical school.  Although Laura started her own production company, besides Daniel, her life is pretty empty.  Very wealthy, her and her husband, Howard, are basically just going through the motions of a marriage - he golfs and has a mistress.  When Daniel meets Cherry, a girl from the wrong side of the tracks, Laura is at first excited to meet her.  Then she starts thinking that Cherry is a gold digger and only out for Daniel's money.  Both women have their claws into Daniel and won't let go.  Then Laura makes a fateful error and lies to Cherry.  When Cherry discovers the deception, watch out.

This is just a thrill ride - don't miss it!

1.26.2018 - I'll Stay

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Kensington Publishing, and Karen Day for the opportunity to read and review this book. 

The book is told from the perspective of Clare Michaels, one of a group of 4 sorority sisters in they early 1980s, including her best friend Lee.  They are on spring break in NC when they decide to make an ill-fated trip to Daytona.  Clare and Lee find themselves in a horrible situation and Lee changes the nature of their friendship.  Clare has always been the one to take care of everyone and when Lee sacrifices herself for Clare's sake, neither can get past it.  The book goes forward in various times in the future where this one episode continues to haunt them all.

This would be a great book club selection because there is a lot going on with these characters.  Relationships between friends and mothers play a key role as does forgiving ourselves and each other.

1.24.2018 - The Night Child

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Blackstone Publishing, and Anna Quinn for the opportunity to read and review this debut novel.  I read it in one sitting!

This is the story of Nora, a married high school English teacher with a 6-year-old child.  One day at school, she sees an illusion of a young girl.  She begins to think she is crazy and can't share her vision with anyone.  When things get worse for her, she ends up seeing a therapist who helps uncover buried secrets.

This is a powerful book of strength on the other side of trauma.  Well written - the author takes good care of the subject of this book.  Certainly not an easy subject matter but so important and such a wonderful way of unspooling this story. 

1.23.2018 - Walking the Bones

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark, and Randall Silvis for the opportunity to read and review the second Ryan DeMarco mystery - another winner!

I read the first book and while it's not a must read to enjoy, you certainly learn the backstory of DeMarco's grieving and resultant issues due to the death of his best friend.  Ryan DeMarco, a Sergeant with the Pennsylvania State Patrol, is burned out and contemplating retirement.  His first bright spot is his new relationship with fellow trooper, Jayme.  In order to persuade Ryan to stay on the force, Jayme convinces her boss to try and let her get him away and reconsider.  They buy a used RV and head out.

When Jayme's grandmother dies, they make a detour to Kentucky to be with her family.  There, they find themselves drawn into helping to solve a mystery of 7 dead girls found entombed in a church.  The case brings to light Ryan's past and issues about commitment and anger.

I really enjoy these books.  They may be a tad too long and the author tends to sprinkle the book with words that I have to look up, but they are intriguing mysteries along with lots of character introspection.  Can't wait to read the next book in this series!

1.21.2018 - Happiness is a Choice You Make

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Sarah Crichton Books, and John Leland for the opportunity to read and review this book - should be a must read!

John Leland, a journalist for the New York Times, spent a year with a select group of "elders" - those oldest of the old in our society to see what lessons they could impart on the rest of us.  What followed is this book - we get a glimpse at our society, the government and families treat this segment of the population and how we can all do better.

What is most to be gained by reading this book is the lesson that we all need to live like we are dying - since we all are.  Easier said than done but the small lessons in this book - be grateful, look at what you can do and not what you can't, help others and let others help you - can make big impact in our relationships.  Since I have a mother who falls into this demographic, I learned lots of things that I hope will stick and improve my relationship with my mother going forward (although it's great, we're starting to navigate issues foreign to both of us).

Highly recommended!

1.19.2018 - Our Lady of the Prairie

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and Thisbe Nissen for the opportunity to read and review this novel!

This is the story of Phillipa - a middle-aged woman who works with her husband in the theater department at the University of Iowa.  They raised a troubled daughter, Ginny, who finally after some electric shock treatments is beginning to move on with her own life.  They have had to deal with a crotchety mother-in-law, whom Phillipa thinks may be a Nazi collaborator.  When Phillipa goes to Ohio for a semester to teach, she falls in love with Lucius.  She goes back to Iowa and basically blows up her life.  How she picks up the pieces of that life and forms it into something new is the premise of this book. 

Set in the time before the 2004 presidential election, there are a lot of strong left-leaning political and religious themes.  But no matter which side of the aisle you vote, this is a book about finally claiming your life the way you want it.

Told with wit, this is a thought-provoking read with great characters.

1.17.2018 - Watch Me

Thanks so much to NetGalley, St Martins Griffin, and Jody Gehrman for the opportunity to read and review this twisty thriller!

This book is all about obsession - both the good and the bad forms.  Kate is a middle-aged college professor, teaching creative writing at a college somewhere in Ohio.  She's divorced, struggling to write something worthy again after her first modest-success novel, and desperate to be seen and loved.  Enter Sam, a student in her class - the most promising student she's taught.  And he is obsessed with her.  She feels alive for the first time under his intense watch and she both cherishes and fears those feelings.

I raced through this book told in alternating chapters between Kate and Sam, letting us glimpse the happenings from both of their points of view as well as getting some background information. 

1.15.2018 - This Love Story will Self-Destruct

Thanks so much to Netgalley, Gallery Books and Leslie Cohen for the opportunity to read and review her debut novel - loved it!

This is just an easy-to-read, sweet love story.  Boy meets girl, life interferes story.  Told in alternating voices of Eve, a damaged young woman trying to cope with her dad's desertion and her mom's death, and Ben, a logical, engineer type.  They meet at Columbia University and continue to cross paths while each are moving on with their lives and other people.  This story follows each of their paths and their eventual coming together.

I upgraded this to 5 stars because of how much I loved the characters, especially Ben.  Eve was a funny, quirky character even while she was so insecure and untrusting.  Ben is a structural engineer - and I'm married to one so I loved his own quirks and mannerisms, although so different from Eve's.

A great read - highly recommended!. 

1.13.2018 - Everything Here is Beautiful

Many thanks to NetGalley, Paula Dorman Books, and Mira Lee for the opportunity to read and review this book.  What an amazing debut novel.

At its heart, this book is about mental illness and the toll it takes not only on the afflicted but the entire family.  Two sisters - Miranda, the oldest, and Lucia - immigrate from China to America with their mother.  Lucia was always the more free-spirited child but when that personality turns into mental illness, Miranda does everything she can to protect and get help for Lucia, even when that causes issues in her own life.

The story is told through different points of view - Miranda, Lucia, Lucia's boyfriend Manny - as well as in different locales.  This allows the reader to really see the world through Lucia's illness and what a scary struggle she faces.

Bravo to this author - while not every character was likeable, you truly fell into this story and felt so many different emotions.  Heartbreakingly good!

1.11.2018 - Lie With Me

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Mulholland Books, and Sabine Durrant for the opportunity to read and review this book.  I was unfamiliar with this author and, truthfully, found myself kind of plodding through most of this book.  However, the ending definitely bumped up my rating!

Paul is a liar.  He pretty much lies about everything and anything from where he lives, his writing successes, even his travel arrangements.  He meets up with an old school friend, Andrew, in London who introduces him to Alice.  Alice has a home in Greece and is planning on staying there in the summer with Andrew's family.  Paul is desperate to get invited, mainly because he's broke and out of his housesitting job.  He finally wrangles an invitation.  Alice is obsessed with the disappearance of an island girl 10 years ago and invites the girl's parents to the summer house also.

Things move very slowly in this book but once you read the ending, you'll understand the necessity of the slow build up.  None of these characters are likeable but the ending really redeemed this book for me.

1.9.2018 - Tell Me More

A million thanks to NetGalley, Random House and especially Kelly Corrigan for the opportunity to read and review this book.  I have been a fan of Corrigan's and read all her other books but this one brought me to my knees. 

This is such a truthful book - the author's telling of things she has learned or is learning.  Like the power of saying no - and yes..  I Was Wrong was one of the most powerful chapters to me - I would like to copy it and share it with every grandchild out there before it's too late.  The true life stories behind these lessons are just that - so truthful.  The good and bad side of parenting, how hard it is to lose someone we love, and how to honor that life. 

You will laugh and you will cry, you'll see yourself and others, and hopefully some of these lessons will imprint themselves on those who read it.  I will be buying a hard copy of this book to read again and share.

Besides the fact that Kelly is a Warriors fan (sorry, Cavs all the way!), she is the kind of friend you wish you had and the kind of friend you wish you could be. 

Glowing 5 star reviews don't seem enough - maybe this was just the right book at the right time, but I know it will stay with me.  Don't wait - read this book!

1.8.2018 - Only the Rain

Thanks to NetGalley, Thomas and Mercer, and Randall Silvis for the opportunity to read and review this book - thoroughly enjoyed this one!

Written as one long chapter, basically as emails from the subject of the book to his war buddy talking about how one decision changed the course of his life.

Russell is a war vet who came back with lots of internal scars and a drive to do well for his family.  When the plant he works for closes down, he sees all his hard work and future hope crashing down with no outs.  On his way home from work that day, he happens on a stranger, dancing in the rain.  When he decides to stop and help, he sets in motion a series of events from which he may not recover.

I liked the way the story spun out, as we learned about Russell's past as well as the current events.  I loved Pop - absolutely the best character of the book.

1.7.2018 - Where We Went Wrong

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Andi Holloway for the opportunity to read and review her debut novel - it's a good one!

It took me awhile to get into the writing style of this book.  The book is centered around a husband and wife, both writers, and the story is told from the point of view of the wife but as she is talking to her husband about the events.  However, this style ends up being explained and perfect for the telling of this book.

This is one of those books that you don't want to give anything away because there are lots of lies, untruths, twists and turns that you will need to let unfold.  Bert is the husband, a once best-selling novelist, now struggling to finish his latest book.  Harper is his second wife who put her own writing career on the back burner to take care of Bert and his son from his first marriage, Matthew.  Life with Matthew hadn't been easy since he was accused of murdering his best friend when he was only a boy.  Add to that fact that Bert made his money writing a thinly-veiled book based on that murder.  It all starts to unravel with the knock on the door telling Bert and Harper that Matthew has been found dead.

Can't wait to read more from this author!

1.5.2018 - Little Fires Everywhere

There is a reason that this book is on the top of all of the Best of 2017 lists - it's well worth all the hype. I loved Ng's first book and this was another amazing read - I couldn't put it down. That being said, it's not a fast-paced action story. It's reminiscent of Jodi Picoult's earlier books - really exploring issues from all sides and making you think and feel the issue from each of those sides.

Life in Shaker Heights, OH, is ordered, with rules for everything, including the expectations put on those who live there. Elana Richardson grew up in Shaker and was a true believer that there was a right and a wrong side and if you followed the rules, things would all work out. She is happily married to her attorney husband and they have 4 teenagers - Lexie, Trip, Moody and Izzy. Izzy is the only child that didn't follow the rules and so that relationship is fraught with issues.

Mia and her daughter, Pearl, rent an upstairs apartment in a house owned by the Richardson's. Soon their lives become entwined, even though Mia is the complete opposite of Mrs. Richardson.

Add to all these characters comes the story of a little Chinese baby, left abandoned at a fire station by a mother who was unable at the time to take care of it. Friends of the Richardson's take in the baby and are ready to adopt it when the mother comes back into the picture. Sides are drawn around town - should the mother have rights to the baby or should she remain with the foster parents who are awaiting the adoption to go through?

This is an amazing book with so many layers and things to think about and sides to decide on, if that's even possible. Add to my enjoyment is the fact that Shaker Heights is real (the author grew up there) and I lived in NE Ohio for many years, so it was fun to read about the landmarks and the way things were in the 1990s in Cleveland.

Highly, highly recommended!

1.2.2018 - The Wife Between Us

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press and Greer Hendricks for the opportunity to read and review this great domestic suspense story!

Everything that makes this kind of book great is here - unreliable narrators, lots of twists, having empathy for some of the characters.  There were times that I just set the book down after a twist and thought - whoa, didn't see that coming!

The book begins by telling the story of Vanessa, the ex-wife of Richard, and Nellie, the soon-to-be-wife of Richard.  Nellie is a preschool teacher who alludes to a past experience that has left her frightened.  Richard sweeps in and literally takes care of everything for her.  Vanessa meanwhile, is distraught, drinking too much, and is forced to live with her aunt and work at Sak's after their marriage ends. 

The rest you will have to discover yourself because even a hint at some of the twists may be enough to ruin the ride.  I had a hard time putting this one down - highly recommended!