2.28.2018 - I Found My Tribe

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and Ruth Fitzmaurice for the opportunity to read and review this book. 

This is the story of Ruth, a young mother of 5, whose husband is stricken with Motor Neurone Disease (ALS).  He can communicate only with his eyes using a computer.  But instead of focusing on the disease, this is more of a letter on how Ruth copes with the diagnosis and her life.  By finding her tribe - the people and the places that nurture her spirit - she is able to continue forward.

The book was written in a different style and it was somewhat confusing to shift in time the way it did, but it allowed us to see all the love and joy Ruth and Simon experienced in their life before MND and how she struggled to keep that alive.  Takes brave souls.

2.27.2018 - The Family Next Door

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hanks so much to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, and Sally Hepworth for the opportunity to read her latest novel - loved it!  I've loved all of her books and this was another one that I just couldn't put down.

Pleasant Court in Melbourne, Australia, seems like paradise and the families who live on the street are perfect neighbors.  Well...until a new neighbor moves in who seems to cause a stir and make everyone question what really goes on behind closed doors and what secrets each of the families are keeping.  The story is told from different viewpoints of each of the women involved which allows us to really get to know them and what makes them tick.

Hepworth's writing just pulls this story all together - a great read!

2.25.2018 - My Name is Venus Black

Many thanks to NetGalley, Random House and Heather Lloyd for the opportunity to read and review this book - loved it!

This book grabbed me from the beginning - a bright, "good" teenage girl confesses to shooting her stepfather although she won't talk about the reasons.  She also blames her mom and won't speak to her.  She's put into a juvenile detention center and then hears that her autistic younger brother, Leo, has gone missing.  In a blink of an eye, Venus has no one.  When she's released as a young adult, she finds her way to Seattle with a fake name and ID, a few Goodwill clothes to her name, and desperately trying to stay away from the media.  She soon finds herself surrounded by a small circle of people she cares about, even while pushing them away.

This was a beautifully written book - most of it from the viewpoint of Venus and Leo, with the other characters' voices intermixed.  I cared so deeply about all of these people and couldn't put this book down to see how it would end for them.  When I read the last page, this is one of those books that made me sigh, and then made me want to start it again!

My Name is Venus Black is being published on Tuesday - you must read this book!  This would be an amazing book club selection.  There are so many things to discuss - just what makes up a family?  How can we forgive each other and ourselves?

This is Heather Lloyd's first novel - amazing.  I can't wait to read her next one!

2.24.2018 - The Bad Daughter

Thanks to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and Joy Fielding for the opportunity to read and review her latest book.  I've been a huge fan of Joy Fielding's for decades and her latest kept me glued to the pages.

Robin is a therapist who is estranged from most of her family.  She tends to suffer from panic attacks and worries that her boyfriend is cheating on her like her father did her mother.  When she receives a call from her sister that her father, his wife and her daughter were shot in their home and clinging to life, she heads off to her small hometown.  Her sister, Melanie, has years of grudges against Robin and the two have issues trying to exist together while waiting for news on their family. 

Lots of family secrets come out in this one and I enjoyed the fast-paced writing and characters.  As with all of Fielding's books, highly recommended!

2.23.2018 - The Liar's Girl

Many thanks to NetGalley, Blackstone Publishing, and Catherine Ryan Howard for the opportunity to read her latest book - it's a great one!

Allison is anxious to leave home for college in Dublin with her best friend, Liz.  She soon meets Will, another student at school who becomes her first real boyfriend.  Peace is shattered at the college when young girls' bodies are found dead in the nearby canal.  Liz becomes the next victim and soon after Will is charged with all 5 murders and sent to a psychiatric facility.  Fast forward 10 years and Allison is living in the Netherlands.  She has a new life and never thinks about what happened and how she couldn't have known that her boyfriend was a serial killer.  Then police show up at her door saying that there has been another murder, they've been to see Will who says he has something to confess but will only do so to Allison.  The police take her back to Dublin and she's soon immersed in the nightmare again.

An addictive read, told in paragraphs from Allison Now and Allison Then, so we learn the backstory.  Interwoven are chilling paragraphs from the serial killer.  Lots of twists and turns in this one - highly recommended!

2.21.2018 - Wild Escape

 

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Diversion Books, and Chelsia Rose Marcius for the opportunity to read and review this book.

While probably most of the country is familiar with the subjects of this book - two escaped convicts from a maximum security prison in Upstate New York - the telling of this story really pushed this into a great read.  I was thoroughly impressed by the author - a New York Times columnist - and the drive to be as accurate as possible in the telling of this story.  Where there were two conflicting stories from different sources, she stated that and didn't push the story one way or the other.  It would have been so easy to write a different book, glomming onto the tale that the prison seamstress wanted her husband killed.  Maybe yes, maybe no.  But the facts were put out as they were known, period.  The background into David Sweat was also interesting - not for excusing any of his behavior but just for clarity and understanding.

It certainly took me back to the weeks that these two criminals were on the loose.  Living just a couple hours south in the southern foothills of the Adirondacks, a remember the constant media coverage and general fear that gripped this part of the country especially.

Bravo for a well-researched, well-written account!

2.19.2018 - Woman Last Seen in her Thirties

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and Camille Pagan for the opportunity to read and review her latest novel - 4.5 stars for a great read!

Maggie Halfmoon is a 53-year-old woman who feels generally content about her life.  Her marriage is good, even though her husband has always worked a lot, her grown kids are doing okay, even though she worries about them.  She worries about a lot of things but the one thing that she never worried about was that her husband would leave her.  Until he did.  Then she realized that she didn't really know who she was anymore.  This book follows Maggie's journey into rediscovering herself. 

This is at turns hilarious and heart-warming and feels very relatable.  Highly recommended!

2.17.2018 - The One

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Harlequin, and John Marrs for the opportunity to read and review this book - 4.5 stars for this addicting read!

Match Your DNA discovered that there is one gene that we share with only one other person in the world - our perfect match.  When you meet that person, you are literally drawn to them with fireworks exploding for both.  This book follows 5 people who were matched and meet their soul mate - with mixed endings. 

The best part of this book was the way it was written.  There were short chapters alternating between these 5 characters - each chapter ended with a mini-cliff hanger so you were desperate to keep reading to find out what happens.

While at times you must suspend belief and there is more than its fair share of gore, this was an intense, hard to put down book.  Highly recommended!

2.15.2018 - Rosie Colored Glasses

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Mira Books and Brianna Wolfson for the opportunity to read this amazing book!  This one will hit the shelves on Tuesday - reserve it now because it's not to be missed!

This is the story of Rosie, a quirky character happily living in Manhattan, flitting from job to job, filling her life with color and eccentricity.  Enter Rex, who walks into the flower shop where she's working and where she changed the card for flowers he ordered from the norm to a poem by ee Cummings.  They are polar opposites - Rex likes rules, structure, boundaries and Rosie has none of those.  But she opens up his heart with her smile.

When they move to the suburbs and their family expands to include children Willow and Asher, things start to change ending in a divorce.  The book starts with Willow and Asher unhappily going from their mom's wild house with candy, no rules, no bedtime to Rex's house with printed checklists for his expectations.  The past is told in alternate chapters, showing the reader how the relationship evolved.

The writing of this book is wonderful.  You feel the angst of the characters.  There are all kinds of triggers here - mental illness, bullying, loss, hope, love, parent-child relationships. 

This is a spectacular debut novel - these characters will stay with me.  Highly recommended!  Here's hoping that the author is busy at work on her next novel!

2.14.2018 - Educated

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Random House, and Dr Tara Westover for the opportunity to read and review this memoir - amazing.

This is a difficult book to read but an absolute amazing portrait of someone who was able to rise from the ashes of their family life and create a new, healthy life.

Tara was raised in Idaho by religious fanatical parents.  They were Mormon but so far off from even that religion.  The father did not believe in government interference of any kind - so no medical treatment, no public school, no birth certificates, driver's licenses, insurance - the list goes on.  The mother was into homeopathic treatments - midwifery, essential oils - and had her own mind somewhere but still followed her husband's rules, including ignoring all of the abuse heaped on her and her sister by her brother.

This is a difficult book to read - the descriptions of the brother's abuse as well as what the father made his children do are not for the faint of heart.  But what is amazing is that Tara is able to go on to get her PhD after never having set one foot in school!
 
I found myself so grateful to my parents for all the "normalness" I experienced - school, books, cleanliness.  Amazing story!!

2.11.2018 - The Queen of Hearts

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Berkley, and Dr Kimmery Martin for the opportunity to read this great debut novel - loved it!  Sticking with my rationale that if I can't put a book down and read it incessantly, sighing softly when it's over that it's 5 stars, definitely a 5 star book.

Zadie and Emma have been best friends since they first met.  Their friendship persisted through medical school and beyond, with Zadie a well-respected cardiologist in Charlotte and Emma a trauma surgeon.  The book switches from the perspectives of Zadie and Emma in the present as well as from their medical school years.  At that point, Zadie was in a mostly secret relationship with her chief resident, Nick.  Plus there was an incident that happened in their third year that neither Zadie or Emma ever really talked about between them.  With this background, Nick shows up in Charlotte as the new member of Emma's practice.

I just loved these characters - Zadie's home life continually had me laughing out loud.  There's the perfect mix of life in the medical world, domestic life, and friendship that just had me glued to these pages.  Plus I felt a total kinship with Kimmery Martin when I read her Author's Note and she talks about how much she loves to read.  I can only hope that she's busy at work on her next novel!

2.10.2018 - Surprise Me

Many thanks to NetGalley, Bantam Press, and Sophie Kinsella for the opportunity to read her latest work - loved it!  This book is in the same tone as her previous one, My Not So Perfect Life - a reflection of our modern lives and relationships - with so many laugh-out-loud moments!

It all starts innocently - Sophie and Dan have to see a physician for insurance purposes.  The doctor tells them that they are both super healthy and he expects that they will live another 68 years.  Great news, right?  Until they realize that it means that they will be married another 68 years - to the same person.  All of a sudden, the roles they played in their lives and marriage come into question.  How are they going to maintain their relationship for 68 years?

Just a lot of fun with some thought-provoking ideas to be taken away at the end.  How do we make the best of our allotted time?

Highly recommended - Kinsella's many fans won't be disappointed!

 

2.8.2018 - White Houses

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Random House, and Amy Bloom for the opportunity to read and review this book.  I'm a big fan of Amy Bloom's writing and this book was no exception, so the rating was a bit of a struggle for me - 3.5 stars.

This is the story of the lesbian relationship between Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena Hickok, a journalist and "first friend."  The first part of the book was fascinating to me - Lorena's poor background with an abusive father, her running away and even joining a circus.  What was less fascinating to me was the rest of the book - Lorena's story is told in memories as she is looking back on her life and relationships.  It was amazing that both Teddy & Eleanor Roosevelt were able to have relationships outside their marriage without it being made public. 

2.7.2018 - Little Liar

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Bookouture, and Clare Boyd for the opportunity to read and review her debut book - loved it!  To me, when I can't stop reading a book, carry it around with me just to read a couple more pages, that's a 5 star book - and this was totally that book.

Real domestic life, not the Facebook life, is not always easy and pretty.  Gemma and her husband, Peter, are busy navigating real life.  Gemma has a high-powered job that takes her away from her family for long days.  She relies on her husband, sitters, her mom and friends to help fill the void.  But if she were truthful, she needs the job and has so many doubts about her abilities to be a good mom. 

Ten-year-old Rosie is a difficult child, prone to screaming temper tantrums for Gemma.  So much so that they attract the attention of the next-door neighbor, Mira, who worries for Rosie's safety.  Mira has plenty of her own issues but can't let go of obsessing about Rosie and eventually calls the police, setting up a nightmare situation for Gemma who is accused of abuse.

This is just a great read - I couldn't wait to find out how it was going to turn out.  Don't miss this debut novel - and here's hoping that Ms Boyd is busy at work on her next book!

2.6.2018 - Look for Me

Many thanks to NetGalley, Dutton Publishing and Lisa Gardner for the opportunity to read and review her latest installment in the DD Warren detective series.  I don't know how I missed the previous book, Find Her, which featured Flora Dane, but Gardner does a great job catching you up so that this is also a perfect stand-alone book.

DD Warren is on the case where an entire family was ambushed and killed - except the eldest teenager daughter who is now on the run.  Warren is faced with trying to figure out all the pieces in solving this puzzle.  There are lots to choose from - the family wasn't perfect, the children had been placed in foster care, there was an ex-husband, and now the daughter is missing.  Helped in solving this crime is Flora Dane, a survivor of a heinous kidnapping whose mission in life is to teach others how to survive.

Just a great book to lose yourself in and try to figure out who done it and why!  Gardner continues to write great books time after time!

2.4.2018 - By The Book

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Gallery Books and Julia Sonneborn for the opportunity to read and review this debut novel - really enjoyed it!  This is a retelling of Jane Austin's Persuasion, which I've never read, but a contemporary romance that's light and totally easy to get lost in.

Anne is an English professor at a college in California.  She has a mountain of student loan debt, is struggling to finish her book, and has been told that unless she gets it published, she won't get tenure and will lose her job.  On top of that, her dad is struggling with health issues.  So when the college announces a new president and it turns out to be her ex-fiancée, she becomes a bit overwhelmed.  A new visiting author helps to take her mind off her troubles.

This book is filled with real life - friendship, family, work and love - and spins it all into a really enjoyable read.  Kudos on a great debut - loved the cover too!

2.2.2018 - Force of Nature

Many thanks to NetGalley, Flatiron Books, and Jane Harper for the opportunity to read and review this book - amazing!  I'm so sad that I didn't read the first in this series - The Dry - even when it was such a smash hit last year.  I'm definitely going back to read it now!  However, you don't have to have read that book to get every bit of enjoyment you can out of Force of Nature.  It's a stand-alone book on its own merit.

5 women and 5 women go on a corporate retreat to the wilds of Australia for 5 days.  At the end of the time period, all of the men are awaiting the women's return.  Hours later, only 4 women emerge from the woods.  Each of the survivors tells their version of events but are they being truthful?  What really happened while they were lost in the woods? 

Federal Police Agent Aaron Falk, along with his partner Carmen, are called in to help investigate the woman's disappearance.  Could it have anything to do with a case they are working on that one of the women was helping with? 

The story is told in alternating time periods - the current investigation and the 5 days of the women's adventure into the wilderness.  This was so effective because we see the tension between the women and learn parts of each of their stories at the same time that the investigation is looking into these women.

Highly recommended - a great read that I couldn't put down.  I can't wait for the next one in this series - bravo!