The 13th Hour by Richard Doetsch

Publisher: Atria Books
Publish Date: December 29, 2009
Format: Audio
Discs: 10
A mesmerizing thriller – told in reverse The 13^th Hour is the story of a man given the chance to go back in time in one-hour increments to prevent a vicious crime from destroying his life.  Nick Quinn is being held in jail, accused of the murder of his beloved wife, Julia.  He knows she’s dead; he saw her bloody corpse, shot in the head at point-blank range.  The police tell him they found the murder weapon with his fingerprints on it in the trunk of his car.  Nick is confused, grief-stricken – “and completely innocent.”

At 9 p.m. on July 28, a gray-haired gentleman visits Nick in the police interrogation room and asks him a simple question” “If you could get out of here, if you could save her, would you?”  He hands Nick a golden talisman that allows Nick to go back in time, one hour at a time, for a total of twelve hours.  With each hour that Nick travels back, he finds more clues to the identity of Julia’s real killer, but he also discovers that his actions in the past may have unexpected repercussions in the future.

In his race against time to save the woman he loves most in the world, Nick will find that friends become enemies, old loyalties are tested and Julia’s murder is part of a larger scheme that has its roots in greed and vengeance.  Nick has the ability to Save Julia, the chance to put his own world in balance, but he is venturing down a precarious route.  If he doesn’t set things right by the thirteenth hour, his desperate attempts to save Julia’s life may lead to a far greater catastrophe than he could have ever imagined.

My Thoughts

Well-written with a great concept.  The story is told in reverse, which  thought was great, although 13 hours was a bit too much - it got a little repetitive towards the end.  I loved the characters - especially Nick and Julia, very likable.

As the novel progressed I found that it got frustrating.  Frustrating in a sense that every hour Nick went back he would muck something up, but in the end everything had a way of working itself out.  What I love about suspense - thriller novels is the ending is never predictable!  Great read and highly recommend.  I listened to this on Audio and absolutely loved the narration. 

My Rating: ««««

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The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

The Book Thief by Mark Zusak

Publisher: Knopf Books
Publish Date: March 14, 2006
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 552
ISBN: 978 0375831003

It is 1939.  Nazi Germany.  The country is holding its breath.  Death has never been busier, and will become busier still.

Liesel Meminger is a foster girl living outside of Munich, who scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist – books.  With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbours during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement.

My Thoughts

I really wanted to love it, I really did, but the fact of the matter is, I didn't.  Which sucks because everyone else loved it and I feel like I missed something.  The story itself felt like a whole bunch of short stories made up and thrown together to make a 550 page book.  The writing style was very hard to get used to, and even after finishing I still didn't like it, although some sentences were beautifully constructed and thought provoking.  Mark Zusak is a very talented writer, there is no doubt about that.  This book just simply wasn't for me.

When I finally finished (this is not a quick read) I felt relieved and glad to be done.  I will say this though, the last 80 pages 100 percent redeemed this book for me!  I appreciated the heartbreak and lose that had been building up the entire novel and finally there was an amazing conclusion.  This was a very tough book to review, as are all fence sitting books for me, I don't want to rip it apart, but I can't give it a glowing review.  It just is what it is.  4 stars because of the last chapter, other than that it was just a 3 star book to me.

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The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker

Publisher: Other Press

Publish Date: January 31, 2012

Format: download library

Pages: 325

ISBN: - 

A poignant and inspirational love story set in Burma, The Art of Hearing Heartbeats spans the decades between the 1950s and the present.  When a successful New York lawyer suddenly disappears without a trace, neither his wife nor his daughter Julia has any idea where he might be…until they find a love letter he wrote many years ago, to a Burmese woman they have never heard of.  Intent on solving the mystery and coming to terms with her father’s past, Julia decided to travel to the village where the woman lived. There she uncovers a tale of unimaginable hardship, resilience, and passion that will reaffirm the reader’s belief in the power of love to move mountains.

My Thoughts:

This one was tough for me.  Did I like it? Yes.  Did I hate it? No.  But I didn't love it.  I felt that the description of the novel was a bit deceiving.  Reading the synopsis made me think it was more of a mystery and that Julia sets out to find what happened to her father.  Yes, she does set out to Burma to find out the truth, but she then finds a local, U Ba and he starts telling her the story of her father.  It was mostly just about his love story with Mi Mi that he is recalling.  Right at the very end U Ba was all, oh by the way this is what happened to your father.  It was very much a love story first and foremost.  Now as for a realistic love story...no way.  Very much a fairy tale.  Only in your wildest dreams does love like that exist.

Overall the story was beautifully told, and the writing was wonderful and flowed together very well.  This was a tough one to rate as it had highs and lows. 

This was a Book Club pick collectively chosen by the group.

My Rating: «««

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Burial Rites by Hannah Kent

Publisher: Little Brown and Company
Publish Date: September 10, 2013
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 312
ISBN: 978-0316243919

Set against Iceland’s stark landscape, Hannah Kent brings to vivid life the story of Agnes, who, charged with the brutal murder of her former master, is sent to an isolated farm to await execution.

Horrified at the prospect of housing a convicted murderer, the family at first avoids Agnes.  Only Tóti, a priest Agnes has mysteriously chosen to be her spiritual guardian, seeks to understand her.  But as Agnes’s death looms, the farmer’s wife and their daughters learn there is another side to the sensational story they've heard.

My Thoughts

I thought this novel was amazing from start to finish.  Beautifully written and researched, it is a heart wrenching story of a remarkable woman.  Based on true events, it is a very dark and gloomy novel which left my heart feeling heavy.  Told with such detail, such as the detailed life of 19th century Iceland was wonderful and the symbolic ravens that seemed to   always be coming back, gave me chills.

It is unlike anything I have read in quite sometime and although the outcome is well known, it was deeply moving.  Agnes has always been branded as evil, and Kent did an amazing job at telling a different side of the story, although much of the novel is fiction, based on true events, it still portrayed a non well known view of Agnes.  It's been a few days since I have finished and the characters are still with me.  I haven't been haunted by a novel in awhile, simply amazing.

My Rating: «««««

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Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

Publisher: Crown Publishing
Publish Date: May 5, 2009
Format: download library
Pages: -
ISBN: -

Libby Day was seven when her mother and two sisters were murdered in “The Satan Sacrifice of Kinnakee, Kansas.”  As her family lay dying, little Libby fled their farmhouse into the freezing January snow.  She lost some fingers and toes, but she survived – and famously testified that her fifteen-year-old brother Ben, was the killer.  Twenty-five years later, Ben sits in prison, and troubled Libby lives of the dregs of a trust fund created by well-wishers who’ve long forgotten her.

The Kill Club is a macabre secret society obsessed with notorious crimes.  When they locate Libby and pump her for details – proof they hope may free Ben – Libby hatches a plan to profit off her tragic history.  For a fee, she’ll admit her testimony wasn’t so solid after all.

As Libby’s search takes her from shabby Missouri strip clubs to abandoned Oklahoma tourist towns, the narrative flashes back to January 2, 1985.  The events of that day are relayed through the eyes of Libby’s doomed family members – including Ben, a loner whose rage over his shiftless father and their failing farm have driven him into a disturbing friendship with the new girl in town.  Piece by piece, the unimaginable truth emerges, and Libby finds herself right back where she started – on the run from a killer.

My Thoughts

Oi! Where to even begin...my head is still spinning.  Dark places is set between present day and 1985 when it (no spoilers) all went down and is told from three main points of view; Libby Day, Ben Day and Patty Day, which a I always enjoy - lets you get inside everyone's head.

When I first started reading I wasn't sure I was going to like it.  I was such a fan of Gone Girl and had set Gillian Flynn on a pedestal for mystery writing I just wasn't sure it was going to live up to my expectations.  Once I started really getting into the story and trying to figure out the "who done it" is when I really started to enjoy the novel.  It is very dark, twisted and horrifying, one of those novel you want to hate for it's content but you just can't help but love it.  This book is disturbingly awesome and clever, pure magic.

I would have given it a 5 star rating had I not been able to piece together the ending before the end.  But overall a great read! 

My Rating: ««««

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The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

Consequences by Penelope Lively

Publisher: Viking Adult
Publish Date: May 31 2007
Format: Audio Book
Discs: 7
ISBN:978 1400105021

Consequences is a love-story-times-three that opens in the eve of the Second World War, with a chance meeting in St. James Park, London.  Wholly in love, Lorna and Matt leave the city for a cottage in a rural Somerset village.  Their intimate life together is shattered when the war begins and by Matt’s tragic death in action.

Twenty years later, their daughter, Molly, happens upon a forgotten newspaper – a seemingly small moment that leads to her first job and, eventually, a pregnancy by a wealthy man who wants to marry her but whom she does not love.  But it is her own daughter, Ruth, who begins the journey that will take her back to 1941 – and a redefinition of herself and of love.

My Thoughts

Well, it was ok, nothing special and will I most likely forget what even happened.  I listened to this on Audio and maybe it was the narration, but I found it to be quite boring at times.  I did however enjoyed the story of Lorna and Matt and if it was an entire novel about them I maybe would have enjoyed it more. 

I found the characters flat and uneventful and the entire novel was full of run on sentences and felt (to me) that it was written by an armature. Big events that happened throughout the novel such as deaths, births, marriages, illnesses were mentioned as just a blimp in everyday life, I wish there had been more detail with some of these happenings.  I felt that each story line was very rushed and much was over looked.

Buy the last disc I was just down right bored and just finishing to finish.  I found the character of Ruth mind-numbing and could care less for her story.  Her big "journey" back to 1941 was useless and uneventful.  Maybe I was being too generous giving this 3 stars, but I liked the overall concept of the story, maybe just not the execution, and especially not the narrator.  This was my first Penelope Lively...maybe I will try another at some point so she can redeem herself.

My Rating: «««

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Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Publisher: Penguin Books
Publish Date: January 1, 2012
Format: Paperback
Pages: 369
ISBN: 978-0143124542

Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life – steady boyfriend, close family – who has never been further afield than their tiny village.  She takes a badly needed job working for ex-Master of the Universe Will Traynor, who is wheelchair-bound after an accident.  Will has always lived a huge life – big deals, extreme sports, worldwide travel – and now he’s pretty sure he cannot live the way he is.

Will is acerbic, moody, bossy – but Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her that she expected.  When she learns that Will has shocking plans of his own, she sets out to show him that life is still worth living.

My Thoughts

First off, I would like to agree with all the other reviews out there - this is not a love story nor is it romantic, but it is a story filled with love, a story of heart break and how far you will go for someone else's happiness.  

Louisa Clark is ordinary in every sense.  She lives an ordinary life, has no ambition to greater herself and is satisfied with just existing.  It isn't until she meets Will Traynor that I actually started to enjoy her character.  Yes, there are times I felt for her - she had a very unsupportive family and because of that I did not enjoy any of her families characters, they just fell flat to me.  As always, I don't want to give away any plot information - I feel that everyone should read it for themselves.

Very thought provoking, wonderfully written, and filled with so much emotion it left my head spinning.  A must read book for every one out there.  So why not 5 stars?  As much as I liked the book it wasn't one that I fell in love with, needing to re-read it the moment I finished.  This was my first novel by Jojo Moyes and am looking forward to reading more of her work.

My Rating: ««««

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The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty by Joshilyn Jackson

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Publish Date: January 25, 2012
Format: Audio
Discs: 10
ISBN: 978 1611139921

A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty is a powerful saga of three generations of women, plagued by hardship and torn by a devastating secret, yet inextricably joined by the bonds of family.  Fifteen-year-old Mosey Slocumb – spirited, sassy and on the cusp of womanhood – is shaken when a small grave is unearthed in the backyard, and determined to figure out why it’s there.  Liza, her stroke-ravaged mother, is haunted by choices she made as a teenager.  But it is Jenny, Mosey’s strong and big-hearted grandmother, whose maternal love braids together the strands of the women’s shared past – and who will stop at nothing to defend their future.

My Thoughts

I really really enjoyed this novel.  It was my first from Joshilyn Jackson and I can't wait to read more of what she has to offer.  It was just such a beautiful all round story with such likable characters.  It was heartfelt and humorous and not at all as predictable as I assumed it would be.  Yes, some was easy to foresee, but for the most part I was very anxious to find out were the plot was going.  Jackson did a wonderful job of telling the story, past and present through all 3 characters.  I like when you get all the characters perspective, not just 1.

All in all, it was a fantastic read (or in my case listen) and recommend it.    

My Rating: ««««

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The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

Skipping Christmas by John Grisham

Publisher: DoubleDay
Publish Date: November 6, 2001
Format: download library
Pages: - 
ISBN: - 

Imagine a year without Christmas.  No crowded malls, no corny office parties, no fruitcakes, no unwanted presents.  That’s just was Luther and Nora Krank have in mind when they decide that, just this once, they’ll skip the holiday all together.  Theirs will be the only house on Hemlock Street without a rooftop Frosty; they won’t be hosting their annual Christmas Eve bash; they aren't even going to have a tree.  They won’t need one, because come December 25 they’re setting sail on a Caribbean cruise.  But, as this weary couple is about to discover, skipping Christmas brings enormous consequences – and isn't half as easy as they’d imagined.

My Thoughts

I thought that was hilarious.  I did see the movie a few years ago when it first came out and the movie stayed true to the novel - very similar and just as funny.  A nice short  predictable read, finished it in only a few hours.  

Got me in the Christmas mood.

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The Dinner by Herman Koch

Publisher: Hogarth
Publish Date: February 12, 2013
Format: download library
Pages: - 
ISBN: - 

A summer's evening in Amsterdam and two couples meet at a fashionable restaurant. Between mouthfuls of food and over the polite scrapings of cutlery, the conversation remains a gentle hum of polite discourse - the banality of work, the triviality of holidays. But behind the empty words, terrible things need to be said, and with every forced smile and every new course, the knives are being sharpened. Each couple has a fifteen year old son. The two boys are united by their accountability for a single horrific act; an act that has triggered a police investigation and shattered the comfortable insulated worlds of their families. As the dinner reaches its culinary climax, the conversation finally touches on their children, and as civility and friendship disintegrates, each couple show just how far they are prepared to go to protect those they love.

My Thoughts

Dubbed "European Gone Girl" - huh!?! Have the critics read Gone Girl? They are nothing alike, not even close and as far as I'm concerned this is such a pointless story.  I finished thinking, that's it?  What was the point?

A positive aspect I will give the writer is that the first bit really held my attention.  The way he would reveal just a hint of what you wanted to know but never gave you the whole story.  The mystery was really there for me as to what the "Situation" was, and then just as quickly as it captured me, my interest was lost and the story became pointless. 

My Rating: ««

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The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Publish Date: September 17, 2013
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 398
ISBN: 978-1455520657

Ira Levinson is in trouble.  At ninety-one years old, in poor health and alone in the world, he finds himself stranded on an isolated embankment after a car crash.  Suffering multiple injuries, he struggles to retain consciousness until a blurry image materializes and comes into focus beside him: his beloved wife Ruth, who passed away nine years ago.  Urging him to hang on, she forces him to remain alert by recounting the stories of their lifetime together – how they met, the precious paintings they collected together, the dark days of WWII and its effect on them and their families.  Ira knows that Ruth can’t possibly be in the car with him, but he clings to her words and his memories, reliving the sorrows and everyday joys that defined their marriage.

A few miles away, at a local rodeo, a Wake Forest College senior’s life is about to change.  Recovering from a recent break-up, Sophia Danko meets a young cowboy named Luke, who bears little resemblance to the privileged frat boys she has encountered at school.  Through Luke, Sophia is introduced to a world in which the stakes of survival and success, ruin and reward – even life and death – loom large in everyday life.  As she and Luke fall in love, Sophia finds herself imagining a future far removed from her plans – a future that Luke has the power to rewrite…if the secret he’s keeping doesn’t destroy it first.

Ira and Ruth.  Sophia and Luke.  Two couples who have little in common, and who are separated by years and experience.  Yet their lives will converge with unexpected poignancy, reminding us all that even the most difficult decisions can yield extraordinary journeys: beyond despair, beyond death, to the farthest reaches of the human heart. 

My Thoughts

Well Mr. Sparks, you've done it again.  His novels will always be beloved by me, and there is nothing he can do wrong.  Except casting Miley Cyrus in a movie.  Yet again, this is such a beautiful love story - but in a way that is new.  This (I believe) is the first time he has told two stories within a story that were completely unrelated - but they worked. 

I found myself more drawn to the story of Luke and Sophia, mainly because I'm a softy for new love.  Ira's story was told more in flashbacks about his life with his now deceased wife.  Both were beautiful and heartfelt, and of course I shed a few tears.  It just wouldn't be a Nicholas Sparks novel without them.  The only negative aspect of the book would be the ending.  I felt that it seemed a bit rushed and was just kind of wham bam the end.  I would have liked to see what happened next, maybe could have used another 100 pages.  But maybe I just smell a sequel? 

My Rating: «««««

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The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

Unbelievable (Pretty Little Liars #4) by Sara Shepard

Publisher: HarperCollins 

Publish Date: June 1, 2008

Pages:-

Format: download library

ISBN: -

Behind Rosewood’s grand facades, where the air smells like apples and Chanel No. 5 and infinity pool sparkle in landscaped backyards, nothing is as it seems.  It was here, back in seventh grade, that five best friends shared everything – Seven jeans, MAC make-up and their deepest, darkest secrets.  For Aria, Spencer, Hanna, and Emily, it was a dream come true…until Alison, the most beautiful of them all, suddenly vanished.

Now someone named A has turned their charmed lives into a living nightmare.  Emily has been shipped off to her hyper-conservative cousins in Iowa.  Aria is stuck living with her dad and his home wrecker girlfriend.  And Spencer fears she had something to do with Alison’s murder.  But Hanna’s fate is far worse than all of them – she’s clinging to life in the hospital, because “she knows too much.”

With A’s threats turning dangerous and Ali’s killer still on the loose, the girls must uncover the truth about A, about Ali, and about what happened to Hanna – before they become A’s next victims.  But as they unravel Rosewood’s mysteries and secrets, will it bring an end to the horror…or is this just the beginning?

My Thoughts

This series is starting to become more intriguing than I ever thought possible.  I find myself being drawn in and can't stop!  More...I need more!

I love it..love, love, love.  I really like the edginess of the writing (remember, this is considered young adult) and I sometimes forget that these girls are in high school, that this is a high school setting.  Although some of the scenarios are a little out there...this is bullying at it foremost.  I just have to say one thing - what kind of parents are these?! I could never imagine having a parent (or in this series case - lack there of) like they do.

This is the first series of books that has kept my interest long enough to read 4 books.  Even Twilight, Hunger Games, 50 Shades of Grey and so on couldn't hold my attention long enough.  Keep 'em coming!

My Rating: ««««

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The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

Juliet by Anne Fortier

Publisher: Random House Audio

Publish Date: August 24, 2010

Pages: 16 Discs

Format: Audio

ISBN: 978-0739384954

Twenty-five0year-old Julie Jacobs is heartbroken over the death of her beloved Aunt Rose.  But the shock goes even deeper when she learns that the woman who has been like a mother to her has left her entire estate to Julie’s twin sister.  The only thing Julie receives is a key – one carried by her mother on the day she herself died – to a safety deposit box in Siena, Italy.

This key sends Julie on a journey that will change her life forever – a journey into the troubled past of her ancestor Giulietta Tolomei.  In 1340, still reeling from the slaughter of her parents, Giulietta was smuggled into Siena, where she met a young man named Romeo.  Their ill-fated love turned medieval Siena upside-down and went on to inspire generations of poets and artists, the story reaching its pinnacle in Shakespeare’s famous tragedy.

But six centuries have a way of catching up to the present, and Julie gradually begins to discover that here, in this ancient city, the past and present are hard to tell apart.  The deeper she delves into the history of Romeo and Giulietta, and the closer she gets to the treasure they allegedly left behind, the greater the danger surrounding her – superstitions, ancient hostilities, and personal vendettas.  As Julie crosses paths with the descendants of the families involved in the unforgettable blood feud, she begins to fear that the notorious curse – “A plague on both your houses!” –is still at work, and that she is destined to be its next target.  Only someone like Romeo, it seems, could save her from this dreaded fate, but his story ended long ago.  Or did it?

My Thoughts

This is a book that I noticed ages ago and has been on my TBR list for years and happened to be at the library one day and saw it on audio book and decided to give it a go.  Let me tell you, I'm somewhat glad that I listened to this book as opposed to reading it because it is very looooong.  It took me well over a month to listen to this.

It's told in 2 time periods - present day by Julie Jacobs and 1340 by Guilietta Tolomay.  Personally I find the story line of Julie in the present day far more intriguing that the the Guiletta in 1340, although the events that are happening in 1340 is what is setting up the current day plot.  Sometimes I found myself getting lost in the story line, only because I found it extremely descriptive and is very detailed and has so much back story to go along with the current story.  

The entire plot is full of twists and turns, in and outs, up and downs.  Just when you think you have the plot figured out and know the characters, something happens then makes you have to rediscover the character all over again.  This is defiantly not a predicable novel and is a very well thought out story, I found it very interesting and for the most part it kept my interest.  

My Rating: «««

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The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

The Baker's Daughter by Sarah McCoy

Publisher: Broadway Books

Publish Date: January 24, 2012

Format: download library

Pages: - 

ISBN: -

In 1045, Elsie Schmidt was a naïve teenager, as eager for her first sip of champagne as she was for her first kiss.  But in the waning days of the Nazi empire, with food scarce and fears of sedition mounting, even the private yearnings of teenage girls were subject to suspicion and suppression.  Elsie’s courtship by Josef Hub, a rising star in the Army of the Third Reich, has insulted her family from the terror and desperation overtaking her country.  So when an escaped Jewish boy arrives on Elsie’s doorstep in the dead of night Christmas Eve, Elsie understands that opening the door puts all she loves in danger.

Sixty years later, in El Paso, Texas, Reba Adams is trying to file a feel-good Christmas piece for the local magazine.  Reba is rolling stone, perpetually on the run from memories of a turbulent childhood, but she’s been in El Paso long enough to get a full-time job and a full-time fiancé, Riki Chavez.  Riki, an agent with the U.S. Boarder Patrol, finds comfort in strict rules and regulations, whereas Reba knows that in every good story, lines will be blurred.

Reba’s latest assignment has brought her to the shop of an elderly baker across town.  The interview should take a few hours at most, but the owner of Elsie’s German Bakery is no easy subject.  Elsie keeps turning the tables on Reba, and Reba finds herself returning to the bakery again and again, anxious to find the heart of the story.  For Elsie, Reba’s questions have been a stinging reminder of darker times: her like in Germany during that last bleak year of WWII.  And as Elsie, Reba and Riki’s lives become more intertwined, all are forced to confront the uncomfortable truths of the past and seek out the courage to forgive.

My Thoughts

What can I say besides wow, wow, WOW!  I absolutely fell in love with the mesmerizing story.  It was haunting and heartfelt and even humorous at times.  I thought it was just so beautifully written and kept me so intrigued I lost quite a bit of sleep over this one.  This is my first novel by Sarah McCoy I've read and she did not disappoint me.  This novel came with zero recommendations and I'd never heard of it or the author, I just happened to see the cover of this book and instantly knew I would love it.

I love how the story is don't in different decades by a number of different characters.  You start out in a very difficult time, Germany during WWII, and present in El Paso, Texas  and the reader is taken on an amazing journey of life lessons and self discovery of both main characters Elsie and Reba.  I really liked that even the sub characters had their self discovery stories woven in as well.  The author tells this amazing story in both first person and a series of letters.  The very last letter is sure to tug at your heart strings.

Beautiful novel.

My Rating: ««««

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The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

Flawless (Pretty Little Liars #2) by Sara Shepard

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publish Date: February 18, 2008

Format: Paperback

Pages:330

ISBN: 978 0062059871

In the exclusive town of Rosewood, Pennsylvania, where the sweetest smiles hide the darkest secrets, four pretty little liars – Spencer, Aria, Emily and Hanna – have been very bad girls…

Spencer stole her sister’s boyfriend.  Aria is brokenhearted over her English teacher.  Emily likes her new friend Maya…as much more than a friend.  And Hanna’s obsession with looking flawless is literally making her sick.  But the most horrible secret of all is something so scandalous it could destroy their perfect little lives. 

And someone named “A” is threatening to do just that.

At first they thought A was Alison, their friend who vanished three years ago…but then Alison turned up dead.  So could A be Melissa, Spencer’s ultra competitive sister?  Or Maya, who wants Emily all to herself?  What about Toby, the mysterious guy who left town right after Alison went missing?

One thing’s for certain: A’s got the dirt to bury them all alive, and with every crumpled note, wicked IM and vindictive text message A sends, the girls get a little closer to losing it all.

My Thoughts

Again, another solid read that did not disappoint in the second book of the series.  I enjoyed this one just as much as the first and just find myself getting so wrapped up in their lives (lame I know.)  Character development was well under way for each of Emily, Spencer, Aria and Hannah.  A number of issues that were left open for interpretation in the first novel were answered in this one, but with that brought new mysteries. 

This book I found was quite a bit different than the direction the tv series took (and I want to try and keep my reviews based on the book not the show.)  I have to keep reminding myself that the book came before the show,  although I like the direction the character Toby took better in the tv show as opposed to the book.  

Can't wait to see what type of mischief these 4 get into in Perfect - the 3rd installment.  Such a great series! 

My Rating: ««««

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The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

On Mystic Lake by Kristin Hannah

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Publish Date: January 1, 1999

Pages: 404

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 978 0345471178

Annie Colwater’s husband has just confessed that he’s in love with a younger woman.  Devastated, Annie retreats to the small town where she grew up.  There, she is reunited with her first love, Nick Delacroix, a recent widower who is unable to cope with his silent, emotionally scarred young daughter.  Together, the three of them begin to heal.  But just when Annie believes she’s been given a second chance at happiness, her world is turned upside down again, and she is forced to make a choice that no woman in love should ever have to make. 

My Thoughts

This was the first novel I have read by Kristin Hannah and I really enjoyed it.  The story line kept me reading and intrigued as to what was going to happen next.  I enjoyed the writing style and the flow, and the fact the story was told from multiple view points - Annie, Blake, Nick and Izzy (Nick's daughter.)  There is nothing I hate more than reading a story about a controversial issue (cheating in this case) and only hearing one side of the story, I really liked seeing all sides of every issue that is incorporated during the novel.

At times I did find the plot dragging a bit and somewhat repetitive (we heard that Annie was just a wife for 20 years so many time) but then a nice twist would be thrown in to continue the story in a new direction.  It's very easy to feel the heartache and relate to the main character Annie, who has completely lost who she was by giving herself to everyone but herself.  I read this novel while on vacation and it was hard not to start crying while reading in public.  It's a very touching story of self discovery and making the right decisions for yourself, not just what is expected of you.

Overall I really thought it was a great first read from this author and I'm really looking forward to readying more from Ms. Hannah.

My Rating: ««««

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The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo

Publisher: William Morrow
Publish Date: August 6, 2013
Pages: 354
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 978-0062227324

Though ruled by British overlords, the Chinese of colonial Malaya still cling to ancient customs.  And in the sleepy port town of Malacca, ghosts and superstitions abound.

Li Lan, the daughter of a genteel but bankrupt family, has few prospects.  But fate intervenes when she receives an unusual proposal from the wealthy and powerful Lim family.  They want her to become a ghost bride for the family’s only son, who recently died under mysterious circumstances.  Rarely practiced, a traditional ghost marriage is used to placate a restless spirit.  Such a union would guarantee Li Lan a home for the rest of her days, but at a terrible price.

After an ominous visit to the opulent mansion, Li Lan finds herself haunted not only by her ghostly would-be suitor, but also by her desire for the Lim’s handsome her heir, Tian Bai.  Night after night, she is drawn into the shadowy parallel would of the Chinese afterlife, with its ghost cities, paper funeral offerings, vengeful spirits and monstrous bureaucracy – including the mysterious Er Lang, a charming but unpredictable guardian spirit.  Li Lan must uncover the Lim family’s darkest secrets – and the truth about her own family – before she is trapped in this ghostly would forever.

My Thoughts

So I haven't finished this one yet, I got it from the library and didn't have a chance to finish it before I had to take it back and renewal was unavailable due to (lots) of holds placed on it.  I got back on the list because I DO want to finish reading it, but I wanted to give you my thoughts on it so far while they are fresh on my mine.

Although I don't know much about Chinese culture/rituals/beliefs I have been thoroughly enjoying this read.  I'm half way through (Chapter 20) and so far I find it very haunting.  The novel is broken into 4 Parts and follows Li Lan on her spiritual journey.  I really enjoyed the first 3 parts of the story and currently am on part 3.  I'm finding myself getting a little bit lost with the story and I think it's mainly due to the references that are made to the Chinese culture and their beliefs in the afterlife.  I never like giving away the plot to a story line in my reviews, so I don't want to say too much about what is currently happening and why I am finding myself confused with the plot.

Stay tuned for a future update of the remainder of the book.  

My Rating: yet to finish

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The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

Pretty Little Liars (Pretty Little Liars # 1) by Sara Shepard

Publisher: HarperCollins
Publish Date: October 1, 2006
Format: Download Library
Pages: -
ISBN: -

Three Years ago, Alison disappeared after a slumber party, not to be seen since.  Her friends at the elite Pennsylvania school mourned her, but they also breathed secret sighs of relief.  Each of them guarded a secret that only Alison had known.  Now they have other dirty little secrets, secrets that could sink them in their gossip-hungry world.  When each of them begins receiving anonymous emails and text messages, panic sets in.  Are they being betrayed by someone in their circle?  Worse yet: Is Alison back?

My Thoughts:

I have to be honest - I love Young Adult novels.  Something about the writing, its quick and witty and just gets me hooked...I have a feeling this series will become a guilty pleasure of mine (I already have the second book in the series on hold at the library.)  I have to admit that I have watched the adapted TV series of the same name,  I believe they are season 5 (I own the first 3) and I absolutely love it!  The concept is similar to another guilty pleasure of mine Gossip Girl - although I have only ever watched the TV series, the books are on my to-read list.  I'm not sure which series of books came first, but I feel like they will be equal as fantastic.  I love the way the author alternates each chapter to be told from each girls perspective and always ends the chapter with a bit of a cliff hanger.

Although I am far from being a teen girl I found this book very enjoyable, a light fun and easy read.  I found the TV series stuck true to the first book and find them very similar which I love.  I hate when a TV show/movie changes the book drastically.

Over all I really enjoyed the first book in the series and will defiantly be reading many more in the series.  Oh and the ending is killer, love a good cliff hanger in a series!

  

My Rating: ««««

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The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

Destined to Feel (Avalon Trilogy # 2) by Indigo Bloome

Publisher: HarperCollins
Publish Date: February 2013 
Pages: -
Format: Kobo
ISBN: 978-0062243591

Life was going well for psychologist Alexandra Blake.

Her career has taken off and she has been exploring her darkest sexual fantasies with her lover Jeremy Quinn.  But her bliss is rudely interrupted when she is abducted in London, caught up in a dangerous struggle between unscrupulous corporations.

Her captors want her to help them with their sexual experiments – pushing the boundaries of convention in the search for a drug to stimulate the female libido.  Bust at what cost?

How far will Alexandra be willing to go to satisfy her curiosity, both professional and personal?

What will she have to do to escape, and – more importantly – does she want to? 

My Thoughts

All I want to do is scream over and over at the main character, Alexandra, "WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM!?"  And then continue to yell at the other character, Jeremy, " YOU ARE AN IDIOT!"  And then I continue to keep reading.  Why?  Because my curiosity always gets the better for me.  I have this need to know what happens in the end.

Through out the entire novel the author continues to make movie and historical references....comparing her "situation" to the movie Taken and events that happened during WWII and comparing herself to Anne Frank. WTF?  That had NOTHING to do with to story line, which may I add is still just as bizarre as the first book in the series.  There seems to be a few different genres happening through, I would hardy classify this entire novel as Erotica   There is some drama mixed in with mystery and the whole story line seems to be based around thriller.  A little all over the place for me, and this time the story told from both the perspectives of Alexandra and Jeremy alternating.

Another cliff hanger ending...damn it!! 

My Rating: ««

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The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.

Son of Rosemary by Ira Levin

Publisher: Dutton Books
Publish Date: September 1, 1997
Pages: 272
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 978-0525943747

Son of Rosemary opens at the dawn of the new millennium – a time when human hope is shadowed by growing fear and uncertainty, and the world is in greatest need of a saviour.  It is here – against a glittering backdrop of New York City in 1999 – that Rosemary is reunited with her son.  It is also here that the battle between good and evil will play out on a global scale – a struggle that will have frightening, far-reaching consequences, not only for Rosemary and her son but for all humanity. 

My Thoughts

Well this book wasn't near what Rosemary's Baby was, so much that I didn't finish it.  I tried, I really really did!  I struggled for weeks and only got 80 pages read before I finally gave up and returned it to the library.  After, I read some reviews about it because I was still interested in the outcome.  Goodreads reviewer didn't have anything good to say about it and a number of people seemed angry about the ending of this sequel because it ruined the first book.  Now I wish I had read the last 5 pages (as suggested by numerous reviewer) before I had returned it, as that seems to be where it all unraveled.  Since I didn't finish this book I can not give it an honest review.

My Rating: 0 Stars (Did Not Finish)

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The reviews made here are my personal opinion. I’m not being paid to review any of these books. I am by no means a professional book reviewer or editor.  I do this for the love of books.