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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