And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Fredrik Backman has rapidly become my new favorite author. This little gem of a story will tug at your heart. Bachman has such a child-like sense of wonder that he brings to his books. His description of how the hyacinth flowers 'smell like Christmas' are a perfect example of the child logic that he infuses throughout his stories. The story centers on a grandpa and his precious grandson as they prepare to deal with grandpa's fading memory. Grandpa calls him NoahNoah because he likes that name twice as much as any other name. As a new grandma this story had added meaning to me. A short story - this little book will take less than an hour to read, but I promise it will be an hour well spent.
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Rushing Waters by Danielle Steel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I typically enjoy the light-hearted escapism of a Danielle Steel book, but Rushing Waters was not one of my favorites. The story centered around a large group of individuals dealing with a huge hurricane and its aftermath in New York City. The story had way too many characters, so it was difficult to really get into each story. The characters were not well developed. The book kept jumping from one story line to another. Overall it was just too chaotic to enjoy. Even for Danielle Steel fans, this book should be at the bottom of your 'to-read' pile. It makes me wonder if she is using ghost writers now, her recent books are just not the same.
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Go the F*ck to Sleep by Adam Mansbach
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
With humor and sarcasm that will brighten any exhausted parents day, this adorable bedtime book is for parents, not children. The sweet illustrations and well written verses capture the challenge and struggle of all parents when dealing with small children at bedtime. This book makes a PERFECT gift for anyone with small children at home.
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Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
While the format may be different for fans of Harry Potter, this new installment to the series is a wonderful addition to the Harry Potter collection. Written as a screenplay, some of the wonderful J.K. Rowling mastery of words and descriptions is missing, but the story has the true feel of the original series. The story revolves around the friendship of Harry & Ginny's son Albus with Scorpius Malfoy, the son of Draco. Harry struggles with his relationship with Albus, and Albus is dealing with some struggles of his own. In an attempt to right a past wrong, Albus talks Scorpius into joining him on an adventure that leads them both to much more than they bargained for. The story brings back Ron, Hermione, Draco and of course Harry, plus a few more of the beloved characters that readers will enjoy. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It is NOT the same as reading the original novels, but for any Harry Potter fan this is a wonderful escape back to the magical world that we all love so much.
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Hello Love by Karen McQuestion
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
'Hello Love' is a sweet story that centers on a dog who manages to touch the hearts of several people in a very special way. A light and simple love story, with a predictable but satisfying plot. Anni is an important part of Dan's family, a beloved pet who is helping Dan and his daughter Laurel deal with the grieving process, so when she is stolen it is devastating. Andrea is working on dealing with her own messy divorce and figuring out how to move on with her life, when she impulsively decides to save Anni from her abusive owners, and Anni helps Andrea to find her inner strength and confidence. After several close calls, Dan and Andrea finally meet and with a little help from Anni they realize that love is possible once more. With charming characters, the authors tackles grief in a gentle and heartfelt way, and gives the reader a chance to believe in hope and love.
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Right Under Your Nose by Holly Tierney-Bedord
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this cute, short little book about Ariadne and her best friend Jess. The story follows Ariadne just after an ugly break-up and she has decided to skip Christmas this year. After some prompting from her parents and a special little push from the "Right Under Your Nose" bookshop, Ariadne discovers that perhaps she has more than just best friend feelings for Jess, but of course Jess is now involved with a very sneaky Laurel. How can Ariadne expose Laurel for who she is, and survive the holiday season? Although it was very predictable, the writing was easy and this book was a lot of fun for a quick little read. I do feel like the author rushed the ending, and I would have loved a bit more of the juicy details of Jess and Laurel's big fight, but overall it is a cute story to help get into the Christmas mood.
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The Light of Hidden Flowers by Jennifer Handford
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Light of Hidden Flowers was a good story, although somewhat predictable. The book revolves around a bright, yet extremely introverted woman named Melissa Fletcher. Melissa had lived most of her life in the shadow of her very gregarious father, and as the story develops Melissa has to deal with her father's illness and untimely death. These events leave Melissa struggling to find meaning, as she re-evaluates her safe life and her decisions. The remainder of the story is Melissa's attempt to break out of the safe little box she has built for herself. While the main character is well developed, many of the minor characters seems one dimensional and stereotypical. Overall I did enjoy the book, but felt the writing was a bit stilted at times.
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Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reconstructing Amelia is a very engaging story that captivates the reader. Told through the eyes of Amelia through flashbacks and various text messages and social media posts, and present day stories of her mother Kate, Amelia's story revolves around a fancy private school and a secret club which leads to her suicide, or so her mother believed until she received a cryptic text message saying that Amelia did not jump. Struggling through grief and guilt, Kate must make sense of the message and begin to examine her daughters life to discover the truth. Even though the author built to a big reveal, the ending was not as dramatic as I had hoped for. Despite some of the challenges, I really enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a mystery.
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Magic: A Novel by Danielle Steel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Magic is a perfect book to throw in your beach bag and enjoy a day of frivolous reading at the beach or the pool. In classic Danielle Steel style, this story follows three couples who attend a glamorous Paris dinner party known as the White Dinner. The story begins at the party and as the year unfolds some of the party guests struggle with relationships while others find new love. The characters are one dimensional, the plot is obvious, the setting are extravagant and entirely unrealistic, and yet it is still a fun read and great way to escape from reality for an afternoon.
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Sparing the Heart by Tracy Krimmer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A cute story about starting over, Sparing the Heart is a sweet story with bowling as the central theme. The main character Katie is trying to come to terms with her father death and she joins a bowling league to help her get out and make some new friends. Katie finds more than she bargained for when she falls for a member of the team, but he is already engaged. The story moves well and the characters are friendly and relatable. This was a fun book - perfect for a summer beach read.
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Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I'm struggling to write this review, because although I did enjoy the book, for me it did not quite live up to the ratings others have given it. I usually love historical fiction work, especially stories about the Holocaust, as they present so many opportunities for deep emotional connections, but while it was an intriguing story, Lilac Girls missed the mark somewhat for me. The book is divided into the stories of three different women during World War II, a young German doctor, a young polish girl and a NY socialite. Each of their perspectives were vastly different and it was hard to see how the author would bring them together. The characters were well developed and felt believable, and it was interesting to view the Holocaust from the polish perspective, since much of the work usually centers on the jewish populations who were tortured and killed, but as I read, I felt like there were missing pieces to the story and the author missed many opportunities to really expand on the struggles of these women. It was also hard to feel sorry for Caroline pawning her family silver while simultaneously reading about polish women being tortured and shot. It was fairly predictable that the doctor, Herta would somehow have dealings with Kasia, but the relationship between Kasia's mother and the doctor was never fully explained. The author tried to build suspense about what happened to Kasia's mother, but the big reveal moment was underwhelming, which was another missed opportunity to make the story stronger. The details of Kasia, as one of the infamous 'rabbits' and the horrors she endured was very compelling. I felt like there was more room to expand on the life in camp and the details of their escape. The end of the story was somewhat disappointing as nearly 10 years had passed and then Caroline somehow finds all of these girls and is able to bring them to America, right in the middle of the cold war. As the reader I felt like I had missed so much information about what had happened after the war, and how Caroline was able to find these girls. I am struggling to choose between 3 and 4 stars, because I really did enjoy the book, but I felt like it could have been so much better.
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Fly Away by Kristin Hannah
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
The story focuses on a few central characters who are facing the devastating loss of their wife, mother and best friend. Johnny is consumed by his grief and unable to be there effectively to help his teenage daughter and his wife's best friend. Marah is a teenager who is completely overwhelmed by the loss of her mother and she makes some decisions that take her down a very dark path. Tully is the best friend, who feels completely adrift without the support of her friend. All three characters struggle to face their grief and wind up hurting each other in the process, until another tragedy brings them back together. When I picked up this book I didn't realize it was part of a series, and that might have helped somewhat, but overall I found Fly Away to be depressing and heavy at times. The author does a great job of sharing the real and raw emotions of grief and loss and regret, but sometimes it felt too heavy, as if nothing could go right. Fly Away is a challenging book that pulls back the silent layers of grief when a loved one dies.
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The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Although I enjoyed it, this book will challenge you emotionally. Victoria, the main character, is a foster child who has grown up and aged-out of a broken system. As Victoria tries to make her way in life, she struggles to come to terms with her broken past and the relationships that she left behind.
The Language of Flowers is a well written story of heartbreak and redemption. Told through flashbacks and current events, we get a true picture of Victoria and the people in her life, both past and present. The author uses flower references to share the story, just as the character Victoria uses flowers as a substitute for the language she cannot express.
Although I don't typically enjoy books that try to neatly tie everything together, the ending of this book felt like closure, and after all of the heartbreak and struggle, the ending helped provide the reader with some relief.
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The Apartment by Danielle Steel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Just in time for summer beach read season, Danielle Steel's newest novel is a fun story about a group of friends who share an apartment in New York City. The four main characters face struggles with work and love as they move through their lives, and they use each other as a surrogate family and support system. In typical Danielle Steel fashion the story is completely unrealistic, absolutely predictable, and a lot of fun to read. The ending is weak, but positive as each other characters finds exactly what she is looking for in life. Danielle Steel novels are always a nice escape from reality for a few hours, and The Apartment would make a wonderful beach read this summer.
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Jet Set Dreams: A Girl's Guide To Flying High by Shantelle
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
If you love to travel, this is a fun little book where the author shares some of her travel adventures. The book includes some great photos, and the author shares some of her favorite experiences traveling, including trips to Thailand, India, and Jamaica. The author also share some travel tips, like what to pack and what to keep in your carry-on luggage. The writing was casual and friendly, and the content was basic at times, but overall pretty good. Although Shantelle is encouraging and inspires everyone to go out and travel, I would have liked the author to share even more personal stories about her adventures. Overall it was a fun and quick read.
Disclosure: I received a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
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An Irish Heart by Jackie Zack
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was a cute story with lots of potential, but the ending felt a bit too rushed. Even though there is no mention in the book description, this is definitely Christian fiction. The author seemed to throw in references to God more towards the end of the book, and some of them felt out of placed or forced. The characters were fun, but at times the writing did get a bit jumbled, especially at the ending, and the ending itself was predictable. Overall it was a pretty good story and a fun read.
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Paper in the Wind: Peeling back the lifespan of autism in the wake of tragedy by Olivia Mason-Charles
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I downloaded Paper in the Wind to my kindle and read it quickly, but I found the writing to be awkward at times, and the characters are stereotypical. Written in a format that suggests it is a true story, this book describes a single father raising a young daughter with autism. The story covers the struggles that he and his daughter face dealing with her autism, but I felt the story over simplifies many of the issues that families face when dealing with the reality of autism spectrum disorders.
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Coal River by Ellen Marie Wiseman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed Coal River. I have read previous books from this author, and her stories are full of hardship and heartaches and this book was no exception. The central character Emma endures unfathomable struggles, first watching her younger brother die in the river as a young girl, then having her parents die in a fire as a young woman, which leaves her only option to return to Coal River and live with her Aunt & Uncle. Emma is horrified by the conditions in the town for the mining families, especially the rampant abuse of children as mine laborers. She quickly discovers that in a coal town, the mining company has all the power. Emma tries to help the mining families, but her actions lead to disaster. The plight of coal miners is a subject that has been written about by many authors, but this book focuses on the specific issue of child labor through Emma's fascination with the 'breaker boys' who work in dangerous conditions, without any safety equipment, and often get hurt or even killed by the large machinery. The characters are well developed and the author has done a wonderful job of making the reader feel empathy toward Emma and her fight to help the breaker boys and coal families. At times the descriptions of the scenery do get lengthy but overall the book is well written and the story moves along at a fast pace. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.
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Margaret Bourke-White and the Dawn of Apartheid by Alex Lichtenstein
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
As most of my friends know, I love learning about history so I was thrilled to win a copy of this book through Goodreads. A detailed looked at the work of famed photographer Margaret Bourke-White, this book details the travels and work of Bourke-White who worked for Time magazine from its first edition. Bourke-White offers an incredible look at the reality of Apartheid South Africa. The book explores not only her work in Africa, but shows her development as one of the prominent photographers of the 20th century. From her coverage of the poverty in the deep south of America in the 1930's, to the German surrender and liberation of Buchenwald Concentration camp at the end of World War II, Bourke-White was a witness to some of the most brutal events in recent history. Although the writing was a little dry and academic at times, I thoroughly enjoyed this look at the life and work of an amazing woman.
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The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Chosen by my book club, I really enjoyed this book. The story instantly draws you in with the main character Joe Talbert, who is a likable college student dealing with more than his fair share of struggles in life. Joe winds up in an english class in college that requires him to wrote a biography. He decides to stop at a local nursing home to find someone to write about, and there he meets Carl Iverson, a convicted murderer who is dying from cancer. Joe and Carl begin to develop a relationship, and as Joe does more research to learn about Carl for his assignment, he begins to believe in Carl's innocence. Struggling with a selfish, alcoholic mother, a younger brother who is autistic, and a beautiful but distant next door neighbor, Joe and Lila, his neighbor, begin to unravel clues in the decades old case that may be able to clear Carl's name before he dies. Although I had a strong sense of where the story was headed, the book is fast paced and has a few twists and turns, which kept my attention. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery.
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Property of a Noble Woman by Danielle Steel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
After a few duds, Property of a Noblewoman feels like a throwback to the more traditional writing style of Danielle Steel. A fun story about a mysterious safety deposit box that goes unclaimed, but when it is opened it is full of some incredible jewelry and a mystery. In true Danielle Steel style, the box and its contents leads a young legal intern and a dealer from Christie's auction house to explore the mysterious owner of the box, finding not only an intriguing story, but finding a romance as well. Danielle Steel stories are not realistic, they are corny and sweet and a fun escape, and Property of a Noblewoman was just that. This story had stereotypical characters, a story line that was fairly obvious, and yet it was still a fun and satisfying read.
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The Plum Tree by Ellen Marie Wiseman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Plum Tree is a moving story about the horrors of war. The main character Christine is from a poor family in a typical German village, but Christine is anything but typical. Christine develops feelings for Isaac the son of a wealthy jewish family who employs Christine and her mother. As the Nazis gain power, life for all Germans begins to change, and the relationship that Christine has developed with Issac is threatened. With each new law, jews are further removed from society and Germany is pushed closer and closer to war. Christine struggles not only with her fears for Issac, but the very real challenges of living in Germany during the war. Her father is ordered to join the army and sent to the Russian front. Christine and her mother try to keep the household running, as new dangers face them each day. Air raids and aliied bombs wreak havoc for her little village, and Christine is horrified when she sees what is actually happening to the jews. The author does a wonderful job of creating a story that describes the horrors of war, not only for the jews, but for so many who are just trying to survive. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. The Plum Tree is an important addition to the many books written about the horrors of World War II.
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Blue by Danielle Steel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
It is always fun to get lost in a Danielle Steel novel and Blue was no different. Blue is the story of a grieving widow Ginny, who has been working as a humanitarian aid worker around the world for the past four years to escape from the pain of losing her husband and child. Ginny contemplates ending her life, when she notices a young homeless boy, Blue, and she decides to buy him a meal, leading both of them on a path to a brighter future together. At times the story is unrealistic, as many of her stories are, but Danielle Steel has the ability to write warm and engaging characters. The book deals with sobering issues of homelessness, sexual abuse and dealing with an aging parent, but it manages to retain a hopeful tone.
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Mr. Crotchety by Rich Amooi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Rich Amooi has given us another fun romantic comedy with "Mr. Crochety". The main character Roger is known around town for his grumpy disposition, but there is much more to his personality than meets the eye, and when he decides to sell his house he meets the very bright and cheerful Sally who agrees to be his real estate agent. Sally quickly learns that there is a softer side to Roger hiding just under the surface, and Roger finds himself surprised by his reaction to Sally's bright disposition. Sparks fly as Sally and Roger make house hunting very interesting. Mr. Crochety is a fast-paced light-hearted comedy that is a perfect escape. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romantic comedies.
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An Eclair To Remember by Rich Amooi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Another fun and flirty romance from Rich Amooi, An Eclair to Remember has fun and quirky characters Sydney and Oscar, who both decide to take a cruise to Alaska. Sydney and Oscar meet when they both reach for the last eclair, and the sparks fly instantly. The only problem is that they are both engaged, and not to each other. An Eclair To Remember is a sweet story with plenty of fun, a great for everyone who loves romance.
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