The Orphan House by Anne Bennett

The Orphan House by Anne Bennett
Publish Date: February 28, 2020

Synopsis
Baby born September 5th 1934 approximately. Place of birth, unknown; father, unknown; mother unknown.

Present day. Sarah Jennings knows there’s one place she can go to find some peace and quiet during her difficult divorce. But arriving at her beloved father’s home in the countryside, she finds him unwell and hunched over boxes of files, studying the records from Cedar Hall, the crumbling orphanage in town. He says that hidden behind the wrought iron gates and overgrown ivy are secrets about their family, and he asks for her help.

Sarah goes to speak to Connie Burroughs, the only person left alive who lived at Cedar Hall. Her questions take Connie from the comfort of her nursing home right back to a chilly night in 1934, when as a little girl she saw her own father carrying a newborn baby, bundled in rags, that he said he’d found near the broken front gate. The day Connie began to protect his secrets.

But just as Sarah begins to convince Connie that the truth can set her free, she realizes that unlocking the past might have heartbreaking consequences…

My Thoughts

While I did really enjoy the concept and story line of this novel, it was just a bit too drawn out for me. I enjoyed the different POV's and time periods the story is told in and found it very easy to follow. There constantly was suspense build-up that it almost seemed to be too much at times. Not that I don't enjoy a good chapter cliff hanger, but it was just build-up, build-up, build-up that it almost seemed too predictable of what was coming next. When Connie's big family secret was finally revealed, it was very obvious and felt anticlimactic. I almost wish Sarah's story line did not have a love story element, she was a strong enough character that she did not need it. Also really liked Anna's story line and wish there had almost been more of her's. Overall a quick but satisfying read that focuses on family, faith and finding the truth. Many thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for and ARC in exchange for an honest review.  My Rating: ««« 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 Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
Publish Date: October 8, 2019

The Synopsis
Alice Wright marries handsome American Bennett Van Cleve hoping to escape her stifling life in England. But small-town Kentucky quickly proves equally claustrophobic, especially living alongside her overbearing father-in-law. So when a call goes out for a team of women to deliver books as part of Eleanor Roosevelt’s new traveling library, Alice signs on enthusiastically.

The leader, and soon Alice’s greatest ally, is Margery, a smart-talking, self-sufficient woman who’s never asked a man’s permission for anything. They will be joined by three other singular women who become known as the Packhorse Librarians of Kentucky.

What happens to them–and to the men they love–becomes an unforgettable drama of loyalty, justice, humanity and passion. These heroic women refuse to be cowed by men or by convention. And though they face all kinds of dangers in a landscape that is at times breathtakingly beautiful, at others brutal, they’re committed to their job: bringing books to people who have never had any, arming them with facts that will change their lives.

Based on a true story rooted in America’s past, The Giver of Stars is unparalleled in its scope and epic in its storytelling. Funny, heartbreaking, enthralling, it is destined to become a modern classic–a richly rewarding novel of women’s friendship, of true love, and of what happens when we reach beyond our grasp for the great beyond.

My Thoughts
I've heard a lot of hype surrounding this book over that last 6 months and not the good type of hype.  I want to read The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek to be able to compare the two, and had wanted to do so before reviewing this one, but figured a review shouldn't be about comparisons. So here goes...

I've been a fan of Jojo Moyes for some time and have read a number of her books - 7 to be exact.  When I read the synopsis for this book found, I found it quite out of the norm for her genre and setting.  To me it read more like a Kristin Hannah novel and seemed like something I would expect from her.  Even the cover artwork was not what I would expect from Jojo Moyes.  That being said, I did really enjoy the story and it was fascinating learning about a piece of history I knew nothing about.  I love books about strong female women, I love books about books and I especially love Little Women.  Not that my opinion of the novel had anything to do with my passion for Little Women, but I enjoyed that it was somewhat it's own "character".  

I thoroughly enjoyed all the characters, even the the men, because let's face it, what would a 1930's setting novel be without a cast of discouraging male characters for the females to prove wrong?  Am I right?  Overall, great message, great story all set against the beautiful backdrop of Kentucky. 

My Rating: ««««

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 Illegal by Lawrence Hill

Publisher: W. W. Norton & company
Publish Date: January 25, 2016
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 400
ISBN: 9780393070590

All Keita has ever wanted to do is to run. Running means respect and wealth at home. His native Zantoroland, a fictionalized country whose tyrants are eerily familiar, turns out the fastest marathoners on earth. But after his journalist father is killed for his outspoken political views, Keita must flee to the wealthy nation of Freedom State—a country engaged in a crackdown on all undocumented people.

There, Keita becomes a part of the new underground. He learns what it means to live as an illegal: surfacing to earn cash prizes by running local races and assessing whether the people he meets will be kind or turn him in. As the authorities seek to arrest Keita, he strives to elude capture and ransom his sister, who has been kidnapped.

My Thoughts

While this was an interesting concept, and I found the story engaging, this just didn’t live up to the hype for me.  This is the first novel I have read by Hill and had high expectation being his previous novel, The Book of Negroes, has such a following.  I found some of the dialogue to be artificial and dragged on in parts. Whereas parts I thought needed more focus seemed to be brushed aside.  I also had a hard time with the country and character names, I felt like he was trying to make this into a dystopian novel but it didn’t quite work as one for me.

As a whole, I can’t decide why it didn’t quite work for me.  Maybe the imagined countries just seemed too fake for my liking?  I’m not entirely sure.  I found the characters to be likable, and was eager to see how everything played out for them. But I have to agree with other reviewers, in that the ending was too neat and tidy for me.  Not saying happy ending aren’t worth reading – but it just seemed a little too unrealistic.

This novel was picked as my March book club, and had it not been picked I don’t know if I would have picked up this novel and read it willingly.  But in the end I’m glad I did read it as it casts light on many issues in today’s society.

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 Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin

Publisher: Delacorte Press
Publish Date: January 15, 2013
Format: Kobo 
Pages: - 
ISBN: 9780345534699

For much of her life, Anne Morrow, the shy daughter of the U.S. ambassador to Mexico, has stood in the shadows of those around her, including her millionaire father and vibrant older sister, who often steals the spotlight. Then Anne, a college senior with hidden literary aspirations, travels to Mexico City to spend Christmas with her family. There she meets Colonel Charles Lindbergh, fresh off his celebrated 1927 solo flight across the Atlantic. Enthralled by Charles’s assurance and fame, Anne is certain the celebrated aviator has scarcely noticed her. But she is wrong.
 
Charles sees in Anne a kindred spirit, a fellow adventurer, and her world will be changed forever. The two marry in a headline-making wedding. Hounded by adoring crowds and hunted by an insatiable press, Charles shields himself and his new bride from prying eyes, leaving Anne to feel her life falling back into the shadows. In the years that follow, despite her own major achievements—she becomes the first licensed female glider pilot in the United States—Anne is viewed merely as the aviator’s wife. The fairy-tale life she once longed for will bring heartbreak and hardships, ultimately pushing her to reconcile her need for love and her desire for independence, and to embrace, at last, life’s infinite possibilities for change and happiness.

My Thoughts

While I had some knowledge of Charles Lindbergh and his life accomplishments, this book gave me so much more information about his personal life as well as professional, told through the eyes of his devoted wife, Anne Morrow.  There is nothing more enjoyable that learning about a strong historical figure and seeing how the driving force behind them is most often a woman.  A strong woman, who no matter what stood beside her controlling husband, sacrificed so much and was "his crew" until his death.

This novel had much more than I thought it would, assuming most of it would have been based on the famous kidnapping of Charles Jr. in 1932, this was only a portion woven in to a much deeper story.  A little bit too political for me at times, but that is a portion of Lindbergh I did not know about and still found it interesting to read about.  Charles and Anne's life and the fascination with it truly was the birth of paparazzi. 

This novel does what any great historical fiction novel does, gets the reader interested in the characters to then do a further search about them after reading to determine fact from fiction.  What I personally love about historical fiction is the just that, fiction woven in to make it interesting. As long as the basis of the novel stays factual, the small details that piece everything together can be as fictitious as the author can create, showing how much imagination an author really has, which is key when writing.

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.

One Plus One by Jojo Moyes

Publisher: Penguin Audio
Publish Date: July 1, 2014
Format: Audio
Discs: 10
ISBN: 9781611762730

Suppose your life sucks. A lot. Your husband has done a vanishing act, your teenage stepson is being bullied and your math whiz daughter has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that you can’t afford to pay for. That’s Jess’s life in a nutshell—until an unexpected knight-in-shining-armor offers to rescue them. Only Jess’s knight turns out to be Geeky Ed, the obnoxious tech millionaire whose vacation home she happens to clean. But Ed has big problems of his own, and driving the dysfunctional family to the Math Olympiad feels like his first unselfish act in ages . . . maybe ever

My Thoughts

Jojo Moyes is an author that I either really love her work or it is just so-so.  I really wanted to love this book but it was just so-so.  I listened to this on audio and found it enjoyable to listen to and thoroughly enjoyed all 4 narrators, even if they were British, but the story itself I just didn't love.  I am really struggling with why I didn't love it and have yet to come to a conclusion and for that reason this review will be short and sweet.  I did enjoy that last quarter though and even found myself getting a bit choked up over Norman - how can you not love a huge lug of a dog?

I would still recommend this novel - 3 star books are still worth reading.


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.

China Dolls by Lisa See

Publisher: Random House
Publish Date: June 3, 2014
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 376
ISBN: 9780812992892

In 1938, Ruby, Helen and Grace, three girls from very different backgrounds, find themselves competing at the same audition for showgirl roles at San Francisco's exclusive "Oriental" nightclub, the Forbidden City. Grace, an American-born Chinese girl has fled the Midwest and an abusive father. Helen is from a Chinese family who have deep roots in San Francisco's Chinatown. And, as both her friends know, Ruby is Japanese passing as Chinese. At times their differences are pronounced, but the girls grow to depend on one another in order to fulfill their individual dreams. Then, everything changes in a heartbeat with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Suddenly the government is sending innocent Japanese to internment camps under suspicion, and Ruby is one of them. But which of her friends betrayed her?

My Thoughts

Lisa See is an author I have long been wanting to dive into and I was somewhat disappointed.  This book was just ok and I expected a lot more with all the novels See already has under her belt.  I couldn't relate to any of the characters and they all just fell flat and frankly were boring and shallow.  The whole thing just left me scratching my head wondering why these 3 girls were ever friends.  Each chapter was narrated by either Grace, Helen or Ruby and I had a hard time keeping track of who was narrating.  I would have to go back to the beginning to find out who's POV I was reading about. Also sometimes the story was choppy - there wasn't good flow going into the next chapter.

The writing was terrible, terrible, terrible (see what I did there.)  I found it juvenile and poorly put together.  I've read other reviews who stat her other books are beautifully written so I don't know where she went wrong with this one.

I really enjoyed the history and cultural tone of the novel and the Chop Suey Circuit is something I had never heard of prior to reading this novel.  The rich history and detailing of the era is what saved this read 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.

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

Publisher: Algonquin Books
Publish Date: April 1, 2014
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 260
ISBN: 978 0670068241

On the faded Island Books sign hanging over the porch of the Victorian cottage is the motto "No Man Is an Island; Every Book Is a World." A. J. Fikry, the irascible owner, is about to discover just what that truly means.

A. J. Fikry's life is not at all what he expected it to be. His wife has died, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. Slowly but surely, he is isolating himself from all the people of Alice Island-from Lambiase, the well-intentioned police officer who's always felt kindly toward Fikry; from Ismay, his sister-in-law who is hell-bent on saving him from his dreary self; from Amelia, the lovely and idealistic (if eccentric) Knightley Press sales rep who keeps on taking the ferry over to Alice Island, refusing to be deterred by A.J.'s bad attitude. Even the books in his store have stopped holding pleasure for him. These days, A.J. can only see them as a sign of a world that is changing too rapidly.

And then a mysterious package appears at the bookstore. It's a small package, but large in weight. It's that unexpected arrival that gives A. J. Fikry the opportunity to make his life over, the ability to see everything anew. It doesn't take long for the locals to notice the change overcoming A.J.; or for that determined sales rep, Amelia, to see her curmudgeonly client in a new light; or for the wisdom of all those books to become again the lifeblood of A.J.'s world; or for everything to twist again into a version of his life that he didn't see coming.

My Thoughts

"There ain't nobody in the world like book people."

This is a story that reminds me of all the reasons I love to read.  And if you don't like to read, read this book and THEN tell me you don't like to read.  Everything about this novel is so charming and quirky - it was instant love.  I couldn't put it down and read it in 2 sittings.  I loved A.J., my heart hurt for him and all the hardships that fell upon him.  People aren't jerks because they want to be, it's a way of masking pain.  And the journey A.J. went on to find true happiness was remarkable filled with humour along the way.  There wasn't a character I didn't love and they all did what a good character is supposed to do - serve a purpose to the story.

I originally rated this a 4 star and had to go back and give it 5 stars because its only once in awhile a book comes along that touches your soul, and those are the best books.

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 Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

Publisher: Doudbleday Canada
Publish Date: January 13, 2015
Format: Kobo
Pages: -
ISBN: 978 0385682329

Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning.  Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck.  She’s even started to feel like she knows them.  “jess and Jason.” She calls them.  Their life – as she sees it – is perfect.  Not unlike the life she recently lost.

And then she sees something shocking.  It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough.  Now everything’s changed.  Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel offers what she knows to the police, and becomes inextricably entwined in what happens next, as well as in the lives of everyone involved.  Has she done more harm than good?

My Thoughts

This novel was a pleasant surprise and you need to read it right now!  Don't read any reviews, just read it.  Told in the voice of 3 female narrators - none are to be trusted.  How easy it is to get caught up in the lives of people you only see as you sit on a passing train, that is exactly what happened to Rachel and it got her into some hot water and making her very unreliable.  A story filled with secrets and full of grittiness.  Amazing character development and very well written, it wasn't hard to figure lout who the culprit was early on, but that didn't deter me from wanting to know what happened along the way while still holding my interest the entire time.

I devoured this novel - and that doesn't happen very often.  I loved the thrill, I loved the mystery.  Would I compare it to Gone Girl?  I don't think you really can.  There is no book that stands up against Gone Girl.  I LOVED Gone Girl and I really really liked The Girl on the Train.  Paula Hawkins has instantly become an author I will be keeping my eye on.

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.

Morning Glory by Sarah Jio

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Publish Date: November 26, 2014

Format: Audio

Discs: 8

ISBN: 978 1480542006

Fleeing an East Coast life marred by tragedy, Ada Santorini takes up residence on houseboat number seven on Boat Street.  She discovers a trunk left behind by Penny Wentworth, a young newlywed who lived on the boat half a century earlier.  Ada longs to know her predecessor’s fate, but little suspects that Penny’s mysterious past and her own clouded future are destined to converge.

My Thoughts

This was my first novel by Sarah Jio and I quickly fell in love with the characters and her flare for storytelling.   I was instantly pulled in and didn't want to let either Penny or Ada go.  My heart just broke for both of them and their stories were so beautifully woven together I never wanted an ending.  Part love story, part mystery and I really felt like I became part of the houseboat community.  I listened to this on audio and loved the narration - when listening to audio the narrator either makes or breaks a story.  And this narrator was defiantly a winner.  I can't wait to dive further into the tales of Sarah Jio and see where she takes me next.

and P.S. Why haven't her novels been adapted into movies yet?  

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 Romanov by Dora Levy Mossanen

Publisher:
Publish Date: April 3, 2012
Format: Kobo 
Pages - 
ISBN:978 1402265952

She was an orphan, ushered into the royal palace on the prayers of her majesty.  Yet, decades later, her time spent in the embrace of the Romanov haunts her still.  Is she responsible for those murderous events that changed everything?

If only she can find the heir, maybe she can put together the broken pieces of her own past – maybe she can hold on to the love she found.

My Thoughts

My typical cover loving self got the best of me on this one!  With a new found love for Russian storytelling,especially the Romanov family, I was excited to stumble across this one on sale.  Well there is always a reason a book sells for dirt cheap - it's awful.  And apparently I will never learn.  It took me so long to actually figure out what the story was about that by then I had lost interest.  It was boring, poorly written, and just a down right confusing jumble.

I don't mind a fantasy element in a novel, although it's not my favourite, but in no way did it work with this story.  An opal eye? Really?  And while historical fiction novels have a tendency to be inaccurate, this novel was so beyond inaccurate it makes me think the author knew nothing about the history of the Romanov family.  A little bit of research is necessary when writing a historical fiction novel.  The author attempted to write a story, and I'm sure there was a story in there somewhere, it was just very unclear.  All the characters fell flat and had no real depth to them.

My advice?  Steer clear of this one. 

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.

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

Publisher: Putnam Adult
Publish Date: July 29, 2014
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 460
ISBN: 978 0399167065

A murder…a tragic accident…or just parents behaving badly?

What’s indisputable is that someone is dead.  But who did what?

Big Little Lies follows three women, each at a crossroads: Madeline is a force to be reckoned with.  She’s funny and biting, passionate, she remembers everything and forgives no one.  Her ex-husband and his yogi new wife have moved into her beloved beachside community, and their daughter is in the same kindergarten class as Madeline’s youngest (how is this possible?).  And to top it all off, Madeline’s teenage daughter seems to be choosing Madeline’s ex-husband over her. (How. Is.  This.  Possible?).

Celeste is the kind beautiful woman who makes the world stop and stare.  While she may seem a bit flustered at times, who wouldn't be, with those rambunctious twin boys?  Now the boys are starting school, Celeste and her husband look set to become the king and queen of the school parent body.  But royalty often comes at a price, and Celeste is grapping with how much more she is willing to pay.  New to town, single mom Jane is so young that another mother mistakes her for the nanny.  Jane is sad beyond her years and harbours secret doubts about her son.  But why?  While Madeline and Celeste soon take Jane under their wing, none of them realize how the arrival of Jane and her inscrutable little boy will affect them all.

Big Little Lies is a brilliant take on ex-husbands and second wives, mothers and daughters, schoolyard scandal, and the dangerous lies we tell ourselves just to survive.

My Thoughts

This was such a well crafted story of parents behaving badly on the school yard.  It was witty and humourous and the "who done it" kept me guessing up until the end.  I do have to say the the adult playground gossip was a bit juvenile and sometimes it irritated me and then sometimes I would laugh out loud.  I loved the suspense build up and the police questioning snippets at at the end of each chapter - added some nice humour.

The only reason I held back and couldn't give it 5 stars is because the "murder" wasn't as grand as I would have hoped.  The author did such a great job building and building up the ending and then it just fell a bit flat to me.  I was hoping for a juicier murder - If that makes sense.  Other than that I loved it and was very entertained.

This was my first novel by Moriarty, and can't wait to read more!

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 Sandcastle Girls by Chris Bohjalian

Publisher: Random House Audio
Publish Date: July 17, 2012
Format: Audio
Discs: 9
ISBN: 978 0307917379

When Elizabeth Endicott arrives in Syria, she has a diploma from Mount Holyoke College, a crash course in nursing, and only the most basic grasp of the Armenian language.  The First World War is spreading across Europe, and she has volunteered on behalf of the Boston-based Friends of Armenia to deliver food and medical aid to refugees of the Armenian genocide.  There, Elizabeth becomes friendly with Armen, a young Armenian engineer who has already lost his wife and infant daughter.  When Armen leaves Aleppo to join the British Army in Egypt, he beings to write Elizabeth letters, and comes to realize that he has fallen in love with the wealthy, young American woman who is different from his wife he lost.  

Flash forward to the present, where we meet Laura Petrosian, a novelist living in suburban New York.  Although her grandparents’ ornate Pelham home was affectionately nicknamed the “Ottoman Annex,” Laura has never really given her Armenian heritage much thought.  But when an old friend calls, claiming to have seen a newspaper photo of Laura’s grandmother promoting an exhibit at a Boston museum, Laura embarks on a journey back through her family’s history that reveals love, loss – and a wrenching secret that has been buried for generations.

My Thoughts

"How do a million and a half people die with nobody knowing?  You kill them in the middle of nowhere."

I have to admit that I had never heard about the Armenian Genocide before this book.  It's sad, I know, but I'm defiantly not alone.  But once I started reading I needed to know more and spent hours devouring the internet to educate myself on this horrific event that is widely unknown.  The author take you away on such a heartbreaking journey of war and grief, love and loss and I loved how each character leaves a huge impact in unfolding this incredible story.  

I listened to this on audio and absolutely loved the alternating narration with Elizabeth and Laura - I think it's important in audio to have different voices if a story from multiple points of view.  It just makes for a more enjoyable listen in my opinion.

This was such a powerful and insightful novel that was overall unforgettable.  I encourage everyone to read this novel of an important piece of lost history.  This was my first novel by Chris Bohjalian and I am eager to read more.

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.

When She Woke by Hillary Jordan

Publisher: Algonquin Books
Publish Date: September 18, 2012
Format: Trade Paperback
Pages: 368
ISBN: 978 1616201937

When She Woke tells the story of a stigmatized woman struggling to navigate an America of a not-too-distant future, where the line between church and state has been eradicated and convicted felons are no longer imprisoned and rehabilitated but chromed – their skin colour is genetically altered to match the class of their crimes – and then released back into the population to survive as best they can.  Hannah is a Red; her crime is murder.

In seeking a path to safety in an alien and hostile world, Hannah unknowingly embarks on a path of self-discovery that forces her to question the values she once held true and the righteousness of a country that politicizes faith.

My Thoughts

This would have never been a book I would have chosen for myself and was a bit skeptical - it was selected at my local library as the January Book Club pick - and I ended up really enjoying it.  I found the concept to be brilliant and devoured this novel in just a few days.  It really got me thinking - is this where we could actually be heading?  Imagine walking among criminals.  Chroming (maybe not totally like this) could be a way of the future - you just never know.  We already microchip pets, why wouldn't we start doing something like that with babies at birth?  

I have to say though that I did enjoy the first half of the book better than the last half.  It started to get a little too preachy and felt rushed.  I also felt like Hannah's character made a drastic change and by this I'm referring to the Simone encounter.  I just found it added no value and unnecessary to the plot of the story.  I understand what the author was trying to relay - that Hannah's outlook on gay people were wrong, but I still found it irrelevant.  The ending just didn't have enough closure for me.  I was left with too much wonder about some of the characters and how they fared.  I need closure in a novel - I crave it.  Even an Epilogue would have been amazing.  I would be okay with a sequel, I'm interested in seeing Hannah now living her new life.  Just leave Simone out of it.

Having never read The Scarlet Letter, I am very interested in reading it as there seem to be a number of similarities.

It is also good to know that the future still has Target and McDonald's...

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 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.

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.

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: «««

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.