A Place of Secrets by Rachel Hore

Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Publish Date: February 1, 2012
Format: Audio
Discs: 12
ISBN: 978 

Can dreams be passed down through families?  As a child Jude suffered a recurrent nightmare: running through a dark forest, crying for her mother.  Now six years later her six-year0old niece, Summer, is having the same dream, and Jude is frightened for her.

A successful auctioneer, Jude is struggling to come to terms with the death of her husband.  When she’s asked to value a collection of scientific instruments and manuscripts belonging to Anthony Wickham, a lonely 18^th century astronomer, she leaps at the chance to escape London for the untamed beauty of Norfolk, where she grew up.

As Jude untangles Wickham’s tragic story, she discovers threatening links to the present.  What have Summer’s nightmares to do with Starbrough folly, the eerie crumbling tower in the woods from which Wickham and is adopted daughter Esther once viewed the night sky?  With help of Euan, a local naturalist, Jude searches for answers in the wild, haunting splendor of the Norfolk forests.  Dare she leave behind sadness in her own life and learn to love again?

My Thoughts

Was this a story about trying to understand the reason for Summer's bad dreams or Jude finding love again or solving the mystery of the Wickham family and what happened to Esther or tracking down her grandmother's long lost childhood friend?  I'm not really sure because there were so many sub-plots going on that each got lost.  It was very slow paced and I just found the overall plot to be boring and uninteresting.  The novel had so much potential - why couldn't it just be about Jude unraveling the mystery of Esther and be done with it.  The dream aspect was just plain unrealistic and held no value to the story.  I also found the love story to be unnecessary and boring.  I felt zero engagement with the characters and couldn't wait for the story to end.

I listened to this on audio and I have come to the conclusion that I strongly dislike British narrators!  I have listened to a number of them and the attempt at doing different voices for each character (especially a man or child) makes my skin crawl.  

It had been a few weeks since I listened to this book and I can't real how it even ended.  Hate when that happens.

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 Murder at Rosamund's Gate (Lucy Campion Mysteries #1) by Susanna Calkins

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Publish Date: April 23, 2013

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 352

ISBN: 978 1250007902

 Lucy Campion, a seventeenth-century English chambermaid in the household of the local magistrate, life is an endless repetition of polishing pewter, emptying chamber pots, and dealing with other household chores until a fellow servant is ruthlessly killed, and someone close to Lucy falls under suspicion.  Lucy can’t believe it, but in a time where the accused are presumed guilty until proven innocent, lawyers aren’t permitted to defend their clients, and – if the plague doesn’t kill the suspect first – public executions draw a large crowd of spectators, Lucy knows she may never find out what really happened.  Unless, that is, she can uncover the true herself.

Determined to do just that, Lucy finds herself venturing out of her expected station and into raucous printers’ shops, secretive gypsy camps, the foul streets of London, and even the bowels of Newgate prison on a trail that might lead her straight into the arms of the killer.

My Thoughts

I'm a cover lover - there is no doubt about that and I found this particular cover so haunting and beautiful I knew I had to read it.  Then reading the synopsis and a promise of a good mystery set in the seventeenth century I was sold.  I loved the time period, loved the setting and the description of London and the premises of the story.  However there too much going on for me to fully engage in the story.  In addition to Lucy trying to solve the mystery of her friends murder there was also a number of other sub stories going on as well.  There was a romance budding with Lucy.  The plague struck and then became a focal point of the story.  There was also the political aspect and how during that time London had a corrupt justice system.  While the author did a great job of weaving everything together I found that it was all a bit too much. 

I liked her writing and glad that she chose to use modern language as opposed to what would have been used in the seventeenth century.  As she explains in her author's notes this is much easier for the reader, and as a lover and avid reader of historical fiction this is something even I appreciate.

This is the first book in a series and while I found the introduction to the series a bit slow I think it is a series worth reading and will continue on with the second book From the Charred Remains as I believe Calkins has so much room to grow as a storyteller.  I think Lucy is an interesting character and although not very complex (which is refreshing sometimes) am intrigued as to where the author takes her.  Although I didn't love the novel I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Calkins or this novel.

My Rating: «««

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The Confabulist by Steven Galloway

Publisher: Knopf Canada

Publish Date:April 29, 2014

Format: Advanced reading copy

Pages: -

ISBN: -

The Confabulist weaves together the life, loves and murder of the world’s greatest magician, Harry Houdini, with the story of the man who killed him (twice): Martin Strauss, an everyday man whose fate was tied to the magician’s in unforeseen ways.  A cast of memorable characters spins around Houdini’s celebrity-driven life, as they did in his time: from the Romanov family soon to be assassinated, to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the powerful heads of Scotland Yard, and the Spiritualists who would use whoever they could to establish their religion.  A brilliant novel about fame and ambition, reality and illusion, and the ways that love, grief and imagination can alter what we perceive and believe.

My Thoughts

Whether or not this book is historically accurate (which it's not) I still found it to be an entertaining read.  I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book to others, just as long as they don't dissect and really analyze it.  Harry Houdini was a fascinating person - there is no doubt about it.  And his career was only a small part of it.  And I think that's what I wanted more of with this book.  So much of it was fabricated (such as Martin Strauss) that I wanted maybe just a bit more reality.  But on the other hand had I wanted all the facts I would have just read a biography.  I liked the uniqueness of this retelling and learned a few things about Houdini that I didn't know before such as his involvement with the Romanov family and his strange relationship with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the spiritualists.  But it did peak my interest enough  that I gave it 4 stars because it grasped my interest and held it, I never struggled to keep going. 

Thank you to Random House Canada via Goodreads First Reads Giveaway for an advanced copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

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 Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson

Publisher: Random House Audio

Publish Date: January 10, 2012

Format: Audio

Discs: 15

ISBN: 978 0307939708

Pak Jun Do is the haunted son of a lost mother – a singer “Stolen” tp Pyongyang – and an influential father who runs Long Tomorrows. A work camp for orphans.  There the boy is given his first taste of power, picking which orphans eat first and which will be lent out for manual labor.  Recognized for his loyalty and keen instincts, Jun Do comes to the attention of superiors in the state, rises in the ranks, and starts on a road from which there will be no return.

Considering himself “a humble citizen of the greatest nation in the world,” Jun do becomes a professional kidnapper who must navigate the shifting rules, arbitrary violence, and baffling demands of his Korean overlords in order to stay alive.  Driven to the absolute limit of what any human being could endure, he boldly takes on the treacherous role of rival Kim Jong Il in an attempt to save the woman he loves, Sun Moon, a legendary actress “so pure, she didn't know what starving people looked like.”

My Thoughts

"In North Korea you are not born, you are made."  If I took anything away from this novel it would be this quote and that's about it.  I did not find this an enjoyable book, mostly because half the time I had no idea what was going on.  Maybe had I read the book instead of listening to it I would have grasped more, but I have no desire to actually read it, I don't want to waste anymore time than I already have.  I found it very confusing, somewhat like reading a puzzle and there was no line between what was fantasy and what was real.  There are 3 narrators.  The first you hear is the radio announcer who spews nonsense to the citizens and then the other 2 narrators are actually the same person - just one in the past and one in the present.  I listened to this on audio and it eventually just became background noise while I was driving.

I did find learning about North Korea fascinating - and it gave you a glimpse into how this devastating country really is and will also say that it is well written that is rich in symbolism.  North Koreans truly believe it is the greatest nation in the world. 

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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 House in the Sky by Amanda Lindhout & Sara Corbett

Published: 
Publish Date: September 10, 2013
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 367
ISBN: 978 1451645606

As a child, Amanda Lindhout escaped a violent household by paging through issues of National Geographic and imagining herself in its exotic locales.  At the age of nineteen, working as a cocktail waitress in Calgary, Alberta, she began saving her tips so she could travel the globe.  Aspiring to understand the world and live a significant life, she backpacked through Latin America, Laos, Bangladesh, and India, and emboldened by each adventure, went on to Sudan, Syria, and Pakistan.  In war-ridden Afghanistan and Iraq she carved out a fledgling career as a television reporter.  And then, in August 2008, she traveled to Somalia – “the most dangerous place on earth.”  On her Fourth day, she was abducted by a group of masked men along a dusty road.

Held hostage for 460 days, Amanda converts to Islam as a survival tactic, receives “wife lessons” from one of her captors, and risks a daring escape.  Moved between a series of abandoned houses in the desert, she survives on memory – every lush detail of the world she experienced in her life before captivity – and on strategy, fortitude, and hope.  When she is most desperate, she visits a house in the sky, high above the woman is kept in chains, in the dark, being tortured.

Vivid and suspenseful, A House in the Sky is the searingly intimate story of an intrepid young woman and her search for compassion in the face of unimaginable adversity.

My Thoughts

This is one of those books that every time I was in a bookstore would stop, pick it up, contemplate and then put back down and tell myself another time.  When it was selected as Chapters Indigo's October pick for their #worldsbiggestbookclub I knew it was finally time to dive in.  And am I ever glad I did.  Such a powerful and moving read full of real emotion.

This memoir either seems to speak to you or it doesn't.  There are a number of reviews out there that seem to think that Amanda Lindhout may have gotten what she deserves.  This is very disheartening.  Yes, she may have exposed herself to danger and been naive in thinking she was invincible but no mater if you are traveling in a "safe" country or a war torn country you never know what can happen.  No one deserves to be raped, beaten and torched.  I found it hard to understand how she remained so positive during her whole ordeal and has even gone as far as to forgive her captors.  Just goes to show how strong of a woman she is, and I have nothing but respect for her.

I found the first third of the book very interesting, while others found it boring I began to develop jealousy towards Lindhout, she was traveling to all the countries I've only dreamed about visiting and living the dream that many will never get to experience.

At the end of her memoir she mentions that Nigel wrote a book about his experience in Somalia and I would be very interesting on hearing his take on being imprisoned and his point of view.  I am also excited that the book had been optioned into a movie and it will be very interesting to see how it comes out.  What a true story of inspiration and perseverance.  

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.

Ellis Island (Ellis Island #1) by Kate Kerrigan

Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Publish Date: June 28, 2011
Format: Paperback
Pages: 356
ISBN: 978 0062071538

Sweethearts since childhood, Ellie Hogan and her husband, John, are content on their farm in Ireland – until John, a soldier for the Irish Republican Army, receives an injury that leaves him unable to work.  Forced to take drastic measures in order to survive, Ellie does what so many Irish women in the 1920’s have done and sails across a vast ocean to New York Coty to work as a maid for a wealthy socialite.

Once there, Ellie is introduced to a world of opulence and sophistication, tempted by the allure of grand parties and fine clothes, money and mansions…and by the attentions of a charming suitor who can give her everything.  Yet her heart remains with her husband back home.  And now she faces the most difficult choice she will ever have to make; a new life in a new country full of hope and promise, or return to a life of cruel poverty…and love.

My Thoughts

This novel started out good and pulled me right in.  I loved the concept and if I were Ellie I probably would have been mesmerized by all the glitz and glamour of a big city in America if I had come from poverty ridden Ireland.  But once Ellie got there and settled in she transformed into a completely different character I could hardly stand to read about.  Her and her husband John decided she would travel to American and for one year then she was to return home.  When you begin to part one and it's titled 1920-1024 you know it just isn't going to be a year.

What transpires over the last half of the novel is a whiny, selfish, uninspired Ellie returning to Ireland kicking and screaming.  And then continues to do so for the rest of the novel.  All I wanted was the be swept away in Ellie and John's love story and instead got an ungrateful Ellie.

This is the first in a trilogy and although I was not a fan of Ellie's character at the end of the first novel I am still interested in the story line and where the author intends to take her.  I just feel like this novel had so much potential - I hope the next 2 redeem themselves.

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.

Love Anthony by Lisa Genova

Publisher: Gallery Books
Publish Date: September 25, 2012
Format: Audio
Discs: 8
ISBN: 978 1442354128

Two women, each cast adrift by unforeseen events in their lives, meet by accident on a Nantucket beach and are drawn into a friendship.

Olivia is a young mother whose eight-year-old severely autistic son has recently died.  Her marriage badly frayed by years of stress, she comes to the island in a trail separation to try and make sense of the tragedy of her Anthony’s short life.

Beth, a stay-a-home mother of three, is also recently separated after discovering her husband’s long-term infidelity.  In an attempt to recapture a sense of her pre-married life, she rekindles her passion for writing, determined to find her own voice again.  But surprisingly, as she does so, Beth also finds herself channeling the voice of an unknown boy, exuberant in his perceptions of the world around him if autistic is his expression – a voice she can share with Olivia – (is it Anthony?) – that brings comfort and meaning to them both.

My Thoughts

I've had a hard time writing this review as the book and author came highly recommended by a number of people and it just fell flat to me and was rather disappointing  I'm not a fan of a story told from multiple POV and 2 separate story lines when they have no connection to each other until later on in the book.  This is a huge pet peeve of mine.  While I loved the audio narration,  done by Debra Messing, I found the story to be pretty boring and uninteresting.  Olivia's life is boring.  Beth's is equally as boring.  There was no character development  Then Beth starts writing a very unrealistic novel about a boy with autism, who happens to be exactly like Anthony, Olivia's son.  Her novel is told from his perspective which I found to be a bit far fetched. Beth's novel ultimately ties her and Olivia together (shocker) which I felt was an awkward friendship.  Overall I just wasn't a fan of this novel, my first of Lisa Genova's.  I fell like 3 stars was being generous with his one, it just wasn't for me.

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.

Sweet Water by Christina Baker Kline

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publish Date: May 1, 1993
Format: Hardcover
Pages:285
ISBN: 978 0060190330

When a grandfather she never knew bequeaths her a house and 60 acres of land in Sweetwater, Tenn., a restless young artist leaves New York to recover her past and rethink her future.  Cassie Simon’s mother Ellen died when Cassie was only three; raised in Boston by her grieving father, she never knew her maternal relatives.  Unprepared for the thick veil of mystery that surrounds them, Cassie is especially bewildered by her brusque grandmother, whom rumor credits with hiding a terrible secret about Ellen’s death.  In alternating sections told from their respective points of view, Cassie and her grandmother fight their separate battles to cope with the truth about the tragedy.  The result is a powerful, immensely readable tale of loyalty and betrayal, family and memory, made fresh by Kline’s often beautiful and always lucid prose.

My Thoughts

I had recently purchased Orphan Train and then this book came up in a book club and realized it was by the same author.  Sweet Water is Kline's first novel and the first I have read of hers.  Yet again it is one of those tricky 3 star books.  There were a number of good aspects to this novel and then there were some that were not so good.  I liked the concept, of a young girl needing to find herself, and part of the search is to know who her family is and where she came from.  Returning to her birth town after the death of her grandfather, whom she had never met, she starts to develop relationships with her grandmother, aunts, uncles and cousins.  While the description states that the book is shroud is mystery...the mystery was a real let down.  Instead of having the mystery aspect woven it I would have rather preferred for the whole novel to focus on relationship building, self discovery and letting go and moving on.

I liked hearing Clyde's point of view and why she was so stand offish - which in my opinion was unnecessary.  I would have preferred Clyde and Cassie to have a typical grandmother granddaughter relationship.  Yes I understand her heartache, but it was not Cassie's fault for everything that happened in her grandmother's life. The ending was terrible - in that it didn't really end.  It almost seemed like the author just got tired of the story and just said the end.  I was also not a fan of the character Troy.  I found him as a love interest was just wrong.  While I liked that the author gave her a love interest I just did not like that it was him. 

You could defiantly tell that it was a first novel by an author - and I'm sure that writing her following novels she developed more depth.  Well I'm hoping so anyways, as I plan to read more of her. 

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.

Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman

Publisher: Spiegel & Grau
Publish Date: March 8, 2011
Format: Paperback
Pages: 352
ISBN: 978 0385523394

With a career, a boyfriend, and a loving family, Piper Kerman barely resembles the reckless young woman who delivered a suitcase of drug money ten years before.  But that past has caught up with her.  Convicted and sentenced to fifteen months at the infamous federal correction facility in Danbury, Connecticut, the well-heeled Smith College alumna is now inmate #11187-424 – one of the millions of people who disappear “down the rabbit hole” of the American penal system.  From her first strip search to her final release, Kerman learns to navigate this strange world with its strictly enforced codes of behavior and arbitrary rules.  She meets women from all walks of life, who surprise her with small tokens of generosity, hard words of wisdom, and simple acts of acceptance.  Heartbreaking, hilarious, and at times enraging, Kerman’s story offers a rare look into the lives of women in prison – why is it we lock so many away and what happens to them when they’re there.

My Thoughts

Everyone is raving about the Netflix tv series Orange is the New Black and friends kept telling me that I have to start watching it.  So I finally gave in and said that I would, but I needed to read the book first.  Everyone's first reaction was "There is a book?"  Yes there is a book.  So instead of basing a review on comparing the tv show to the book I needed to do the opposite.   After finishing the book I then watched the 2 seasons of the show in just a few sittings.  While the tv show is solely for entertainment purposes the book is fact, and I enjoy that much more.  Not saying I didn't enjoy the tv show, I just find it quite far fetched to what prison is actually like (although I can't say for sure having never been there.)

I really enjoyed Piper's story of having to fess up to a crime that she committed nearly 10 years ago and reading about how she dealt and coped with her ordeal.  I found the "characters" she encountered while in prison quite entertaining and liked seeing prison through her eyes - from someone who you wouldn't think would land them self in prison.

Was it a memoir that tugged at my heart strings and left me wanting more?  No, not at all.  While I did enjoy the read it wasn't one that I probably would have read without encouragement.  I felt like the ending was a little rushed and just abruptly ended and I would have liked to seen an afterward of where she is now.

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.

Confessions of a Wild Child by Jackie Collins

Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publish Date: February 4, 2014
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 304
ISBN: 978 1250050939

Confessions of a Wild Child takes you on trip and navigates the teenage years of a wild child who will eventually rule an empire. Lucky Santangelo is a powerful and charismatic woman. But how did she become the woman she is today? Many people have asked, and in Confessions of a Wild Child we discover the teenage Lucky, and follow her on her trip to discover boys, love and how she fought her father, the infamous Gino Santangelo, to forge her own individual and strong road to success.

My Thoughts 

I have long since been a huge fan of Jackie Collins - she is to me the original smut writer.  Her Lucky Santangelo novels are what she is known for.  While this is her 9th installment of the series it is probably the weakest.  You don't need to read the first 8 novels (I haven't) to understand this one.  This takes you back and reiterates everything about Lucky's teenage years that you have already found out if you have read any other books in the series.  This one just seemed like a time filler while Collins contemplated her next move with Lucky. 

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 Paris Architect by Charles Belfour

Published: Random House Audio
Publish Date: October 8, 2013
Format: Audio
Discs: 9
ISBN: 978 0804190817

Like most gentiles in Nazi-occupied Paris, architect Lucien Bernard has little empathy for the Jews.  So when a wealthy industrialist offers him a large sum of money to devise secret hiding places for Jews, Lucien struggles with the choice of risking his life for a cause he doesn't really believe in.  Ultimately he can’t resist the challenge and begins designing expertly concealed hiding spaces – behind painting, within a column, or inside a drainpipe – detecting possibilities invisible to the average eye.  But when one of his clever hiding spaces fails horribly and the immense suffering of Jews becomes incredibly personal, he can no longer deny reality.

My Thoughts

I love all things Paris period.  When I saw this haunting cover I knew that it had to be add to my Paris must read list.  During a trip to the library I happened to see this available on audio so I snatched it up.  I loved the narration minus one small factor-he was not very good at dialogue especially the women characters.  But that was such a small aspect in a much larger picture.  While it wasn't an amazing work of fiction that will withstand the test of time, it was an amazing novel.

WWII was such a devastating time period that I sometimes find novel set during this time very difficult to read, especially when children are involved. I believe that 1942 Nazi occupied Paris is a very important time in history and this novel gives a glimpse of just how horrifying this time was.  There is so much historical details that is portrayed very realistically.  Be warned though - this is not a light hearted story and can be pretty graphic at times.  I loved the plot, loved the characters.  This novel was powerful, heartbreaking and uplifting.  Oh, and a lot of great architecture.  Read. This. Book.

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 Shoemaker's Wife by Adriana Trigiani

Publisher: Harper
Publish Date: April 3, 2012
Format: Kobo ereader
Pages: - 
ISBN: 9780062098061

The Fateful first meeting of Enza and Ciro takes place amid the haunting majesty of the Italian Alps at the turn of the last century.  Still teenages, they are separated when Ciro is banished from his village and sent to hide in New York’s Little Italy, apprenticed to a shoemaker, leaving a bereft Enza behind.  But when her own family faces disaster, she too, is forced to emigrate to America.  Though destiny will reunite the star0crossed lovers, it will, just as abruptly , separate them once again-sending Ciro off to serve in World War I, while Enza is drawn into the glamorous world of the opera…and into the life of the international singing sensation Enrico Caruso.  Still Enza and Ciro have been touched by fate-and, ultimately, the power of their love will change their lives forever.

My Thoughts

I've said it before and I'll say it again (and probably again) I am a total sucker for a tragic love story.  When it comes to any story, fictional or not, some stories are just meant to be.    Although slow, and extremely over descriptive, I was captivated and drawn into the lives of Ciro and Enza.  I found the first three quarters of the novel the best part and would just get lost in their love story, but then the last quarter that span several decades and managed to be rushed but at the same time dragged out when it could have ended much sooner, although it would have been on a sad note, it would have made this tragic love story more compelling.

As I mentioned, this was a highly descriptive novel, and was clearly well researched, but it all didn't seem necessary to make the story flow, the characters were developed enough that the rest was just mumbo jumbo.  The positive aspect of this is as I was reading, I could easily see this as a movie.  The description used to illustrate each character and plot line consistently had a movie like aspect that I just couldn't get out of my head.  I loved every minute of 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.

Wicked (Pretty Little Liars #5) by Sara Shepard

Publisher: Harper Teen
Publish Date: November 25th, 2008
Format: download library
Pages: - 
ISBN: -

In idyllic Rosewood, Pennsylvania, four very pretty girls just can’t help but be bad…

Hanna will do anything to be Rosewood’s queen bee.  Spencer’s digging up her family’s secrets.  Emily can’t stop thinking about ner new boyfriend.  And Aria approves a little too strongly of her mom’s taste in men.

Now that Ali’s killer is finally behind bars, the girls think they’re safe.  But those who forget the past and condemned to repeat it.  And they should know by now that I’m always watching…

My Thoughts

Well, this is now the 6th PLL book that I've read (there is a 4.5 book) and they just keep getting more and more entertaining.  It started out how all of them do, reiterating everything that has happened in all the previous books - which gets pretty tiring.  But once all that was out of the way (almost half the novel) it got to the nitty gritty.  I love me a good cliff hanger and the 5th installment did not disappoint.  Can't wait to see what these train wrecks have in for store for them next!

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.

Firefly Lane (Firefly Lane #1) by Kristin Hannah

Publisher:

Publish Date: February 5, 2008

Format: Audio

Discs: 15

ISBN:

In the turbulent summer of 1974, Kate Mularkey has accepted her place at the bottom of the eight-grade social food chain.  Then, to her amazement, the “coolest girl in the world” moves in across the street and wants to be her friend.  Tully Hart seems to have it all – beauty, brains, ambition.  On the surface they are as opposite as two people can be: Kate, doomed to be forever uncool, with a loving family who mortifies her at every turn.  Tully, steeped in glamour and mystery, but with a secret that is destroying her.  They make a pact to be best friends forever, by summer’s end they’ve become TullyandKate.  Inseparable.

For thirty years, Tully and Kate buoy each other through life, weathering the storms of friendship – jealousy, anger, hurt, and resentment.  They think they’ve survived it all until a single act of betrayal tears them apart…and puts their courage and friendship to the ultimate test.

My Thoughts

This novel can truly be described as a trip down memory lane.  Starting in the 70's, it takes you all the way to present day and all the heartbreak, jealousy, loyalty, friendship that life throws at you.  While I really enjoyed the premises for this story I found parts to drag on a bit and become a bit boring.  Then there were some really great parts that held the story together for me.  I found this a very long book to get through - however I listened to this on audio are thoroughly enjoyed the narration, which in my opinion can make or break an audio book.

I was not a fan of Tully.  I found her character to be obnoxious and over bearing.  Kate was obsessive and was driving me crazy how she was so insecure about Tully and Johnny.  She was staring to sound like a broken record and just down right annoying.  Even to the very end she still couldn't get past it.

The end of the novel was very heartbreaking - probably the saddest that I have read in a very long time and it was very well written and constructed.  The ending is the reason for the 4 star rating, or else it would have just been a 3 star for me due to the dragginess of the novel.  And my constant want to slap Tully.

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.

Unwanted (Fredrika Bergman and Alex Recht #1) by Kristina Ohlsson

Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books

Publish Date: February 28, 2012

Format: MP3 CD

Discs: 2

ISBN: 978 1624065590

In the middle of a rainy Swedish summer, a little girl is abducted from a crowded train.  Despite hundreds of potential witnesses, no one noticed when the girl was taken.  Her distraught mother was left behind at the previous station in what seemed to be a coincidence.  The train crew was alerted and kept a watchful eye on the sleeping child.  But when the train pulled into Stockholm Central Station, the little girl had vanished.  Inspector Alex Recht and his special team of federal investigators, assisted by the investigative analyst Fredrika Bergman, are assisting to what at first appears to be a classic custody fight.  But when the child is found dead in the far north of Sweden with the word “unwanted” scribbled on her forehead, the case soon turns into the investigation team’s worst nightmare – the pursuit of a brilliant and ruthless killer.

My Thoughts

I've never really been a big fan of Scandinavian literature.  I have no desire to read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series - although I'm sure I eventually will as they are sitting on my shelf.  I don't know exactly what it is that I don't like about them, but it's possible the dark and twistedness of the stories.  I defiantly did not enjoy this book.  It's possible the reason is because I absolutely hated the narrator for the audio book.  Maybe had a physically read the book I may have enjoyed it more, but listening to it made my ears bleed.

The premises for this story is just wrong.  I found it so disturbing that it didn't even want to finish.  A little girl is abducted  and later found dead with her head shaved.  During the whole novel the author does not portray any heartbreak from the family of the murdered little girl.  The father not only never makes an appearance during the entire story, he becomes a suspect...which I found extremely disturbing.  And I didn't feel any closure of his part of the story.  I hated the background story for Fredrika and Alex, it was unnecessary and had no added value to the story.  There was nothing gripping about this story that left me wanting more.  I simply finished it to move on to something else.

I just found the whole story unrealistic and unbelievable and the ending rushed.  The overall plot of the book was just weak and disturbing.  Overall I did not enjoy this and will most likely not read the rest in the 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.

The Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress by Ariel Lawhon

Publisher: Doubleday

Publish Date: January 14, 2014

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 304

ISBN: 978 0385537629

A tantalizing reimagining of a scandalous mystery that rocked the nation in 1930-Justice Joseph Crater’s infamous disappearance-as seen through the eyes of the three women who knew him best.

They say behind every great man, there’s a woman.  In this case, there are three.  Stella Crater, the judge’s wife, is the picture of propriety draped in long pearls and the latest Chanel.  Ritzi, a leggy showgirl with Broadway aspirations, thinks moonlighting in the judge’s bed is the quickest way off the chorus line.  Maria Simon, the dutiful maid, has the judge to thank for her husband’s recent promotion to detective in the NYPD.  Meanwhile, Crater is equally indebted to Tammany Hall leaders and the city’s most notorious gangster, Owney “The Killer” Madden.

On a sultry summer night, as rumours circulate about the judge’s involvement in wide-scale political corruption, the Honourable Joseph Crater steps into a cab and disappears without a trace.  Or does he?

After 39 years of necessary duplicity, Stella Crater is finally ready to reveal what she knows.  Sliding into a plush leather banquette at Club Abbey, the site of many absinthe-soaked affairs and the judge’s favourite watering hole back in the day, Stella orders two whiskeys on the rocks-one for her and one in honour of her missing husband.  Stirring the ice cubes in the lowball glass, Stella begins to tell a tale-of greed, lust, and deceit.  As the novel unfolds and the women slyly break out of their prescribed roles, it becomes clear that each know more than she has initially let on.

My Thoughts

A fictional story based of the actual life of Joseph Crater and his disappearance back when corruption was the only way to the top.  I had never heard of this mysterious tale prior to reading this novel and found myself becoming so interested in the true story itself.  Many times I would stop reading and start googling Joseph Crater to get the real story.  Although no one knows what actually happened to him, it is one still one of the greatest disappearance mysteries in American history.

I loved the way Lawhon wove together fact and fiction and what she thought MIGHT have happened to Crater, as it is still unknown to this day.  My opinion - after doing much research - Owney Madden offed him and buried him beneath the pier of Cony Island.  But that's just my opinion.  He could have remained in hiding for the rest of his life.  Who knows.

I was quickly hooked to this compelling tale and couldn't put it down.  It started slow and quickly gained momentum and didn't slow down.  I really enjoyed the multiple point of views the story was told by, this is always one of my favourite writing styles  as you get everyone's perspective.  I also like the back and forth to past and present, which sometimes can be confusing but in this case worked very well for the execution of this story.  I thought this was such an excellent novel that was well written and highly entertaining.  I love a good gangster mystery set in the 30's - one of the greatest eras for scandal, corruption and love.

I always like when historical fiction novels include an author's note at the end to explain why they chose the writing direction they did and to explain any characters that might be fictional and which are actual people that shaped the history of the story.

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.

Cross Roads by Wm. Paul Young

Publisher: FaithWorks
Publish Date: November 13, 2012
Format: Hardcover
Pages 287
ISBN: 978 1455516049

Anthony Spencer is egotistical, proud of being a self-made business success at the peak of his game, even though the cost of winning was painfully high.  A cerebral hemorrhage leaves Tony comatose in a hospital ICU.  He ‘awakens’ to find himself in a surreal world, a ‘living’ landscape that mirrors dimensions of his earthly life, from the beautiful to the corrupt.  It is here that he has vivid interactions with others he assumes are projections of his own subconscious, but whose directions he follows nonetheless with the possibility that they might lead to the authenticity and perhaps, redemption.  The adventure draws Tony into deep relational entanglements where he is able to ‘see’ through the literal eyes and experiences of others, but is “blind” to the consequences of hiding his personal agenda and loss that emerges to war against the processes of healing and trust. Will this unexpected coalescing of events cause Tony to examine his life and realize he built a house of cards on the poisoned grounds of a broken heart?  Will he also have the courage to make a critical choice that can undo a major injustice he set in motion before falling into a coma?

My Thoughts

When I first read The Shack I had very mixed feelings about it.  I used to think it was just okay but now I have great respect for the novel and the author.  It brought a new meaning to my life and it was a breakthrough for millions of others.  When I found out Young had a second book that branched away from The Shack I was very excited to read it.  I don't know what I was expecting when I started this book but I was hopeful that it would be a new and fresh idea.  This one is very similar to his first book in that the Holy Trinity is the starting role.  As I progressed with this read I found it to get a bit tiresome and it seemed to be the same theme.  I found the only difference to be in The Shack you rooted for Mack from the beginning and in Cross Roads Tony was the villain who might of gotten what he deserved.

While both novels were about self discovery and self acceptance, it took much longer to root for Tony.  I also felt like I had to take a more imaginative approach to Tony's story.  What I have come to expect from Young is a compelling and thought provoking story.  I feel like this fell a bit flat to me.  It was full of "filler" and I felt like the story could have been 100 pages less.  Sometimes I was just confused at what the point the author was trying to get across.

It wasn't a horrible read, but I'm not sure if it is something I recommend to others.  It is one of those in between books that I can't love but can't hate.  

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 Last Letter from Your Lover by Jojo Moyes

Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books

Publish Date: July 7, 2011

Format: Hardcover

Pages:390

ISBN: 978 0670220809

It is 1960.  When Jennifer Stirling wakes up in the hospital, she can remember nothing – not the tragic car accident that put her there, not her husband, not even who she is.  She feels like a stranger in her own life until she stumbles upon in impassioned letter, signed simply “B”, asking her to leave her husband.

Years later, in 2003, a journalist named Ellie discovers the same enigmatic letter in a forgotten file in her newspaper’s archives.  She becomes obsessed by the story and hopeful that it can resurrect her faltering career.  Perhaps if these lovers had a happy ending she will find one to her own complicated love life, too.  Ellie’s search will rewrite history and help her see the truth about her own modern romance.

My Thoughts

I really really enjoyed this book.  I think I was in the small minority that didn't think You Before Me was a masterpiece...that it was just ok.  This one I enjoyed so much more.  I am a sucker for a tragic love story and this one had it's fare share of heartbreak and lose.  The first little bit was hard to get into and I had to give myself a pep talk to buckle down and read on but once I did I was hooked.  I would get so lost in Jennifer and Anthony's story and I have to say that the 1960's high society has to be one of my favourite time period to read about.

The writing is graceful and beautiful and each chapter ended with me wanting more.  I found myself gasping a few times then doing the dramatic page turn to find out what happened next.  I fell in love with their love story and I think Jennifer said it best that "by finding "B" she is opening Pandora's box."  But with a love like that how could you not?  

Then enters Ellie Haworth.  While she is an important character in the novel I could have done without her dramatics.  I thought some of it was drawn out and unnecessary.  I keep going back and forth with the ending...thinking if I would like it more if it had went the direction I assumed it would and the author lead you to believe.  One small thing I didn't enjoy was the switching of voice midway through a chapter.  Although I am a fan of multiple point of view, I wish each would have had their own chapter.

Overall just a great story with lots of good twists. Highly Recommended!

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.

Beholding Bee by Kimberly Newton Fusco

Publisher: Random House Audio

Publish Date: February 12, 2013

Format: Audio

Discs: 7

ISBN: 978 0385361279

Bee is an orphan who lives with a carnival and sleeps in the back of a tractor trailer.  Every day she endures taunts for the birthmark on her face – though her beloved Pauline, the only person who has ever cared for her, tells her it is a precious diamond.  When Pauline is sent to work for another carnival, Bee is lost.

Then a scruffy dog shows up, as unwanted as she, and Bee realizes that she must find a home for them both.  She runs off to a house with gingerbread trim that reminds her of frosting.  There are two mysterious women, Mrs. Swift and Mrs. Potter that take her in.  They clothe her, though their clothes are strangely out of date.  They feed her, though there is nothing in their house to eat.  They help her go to school, though they won’t enter the building themselves.  And, strangely, only Bee seems able to see them.

Whoever these women are, they matter.  They matter to Bee.  And they are helping Bee realize that she, too, matters to the world – if only she will let herself be a part of it.

My Thoughts

I happened to stumble upon this one while looking online for audio books at my local library.  When I went to pick it up I was told it was located in the middle grade/young adult section.  I was going to leave it behind when I discovered it was juvenile, but I was just so drawn to the cover and the concept behind the story I just couldn't resist.  And I am very glad I didn't!

What a powerful story that is full of self discovery and self acceptance and at the center of it all is courageous heroine Bee that you can't help but root for and fall in love with.  I loved the setting, 1942 travelling carnival during the height of WWII and found it the perfect backdrop for this story.  I loved Mrs. Potter and Mrs. Swift, and thought they were a nice touch to the plot and really enjoyed the magical aspect that only Bee could see them.  All I wanted while reading was to go out and buy a floppy orange hat.  I hated Pauline for abandoning our precious little Bee when she needed her most, all for a love interest.  But in the end Pauline had redeeming qualities.  

Packed full of wisdom, heartbreak and hope, it's not just a story for kids.  Adults will fall in love with it as well. I thought it was a very enchanting book narrated by Ariadne Meyers; whom I loved listening to reading The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen.  Meyers will help you fall in love with Bee just a little bit more.

My Rating: ««««

Buy it Now!

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.