Books - December 2018

I finished SEVEN books in December (and most of another one, but it will be on January's list since I finsihed it around 2am on January 1 ;) ). I do love a good break from work and other obligations. Here's the Amazon summary of each book I read, plus a few words of what I thought of each one.

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner was one of the books I read for our middle school Battle of the Books. It was a pleasant enough read. Not my favorite of the seven battle books, but not the worst either. I especially liked the ending, where we found out that some of the characters weren't who they appeared to be.

Eugenides, the queen’s thief, can steal anything—or so he says. When his boasting lands him in prison and the king’s magus invites him on a quest to steal a legendary object, he’s in no position to refuse. The magus thinks he has the right tool for the job, but Gen has plans of his own. The Queen’s Thief novels have been praised by writers, critics, reviewers, and fans, and have been honored with glowing reviews, “best of” citations, and numerous awards, including the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, a Newbery Honor, the Andre Norton Award shortlist, and the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award. Discover and rediscover the stand-alone companions, The Queen of Attolia, The King of Attolia, and A Conspiracy of Kings, all epic novels set in the world of the Queen’s Thief.

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The Things We Don't Say by Ella Carey was found on my Kindle. It was probably an Amazon Prime book in the last year or so. It was a pleasant enough read last month, but I just vaguely remember it now. By the end, there was a huge drama revealed about a couple sets of parents now telling their kids some things they didn't think they should know. Lesson learned: Children, especially as they grow into adulthood, need to know truths, even the painful ones.

Nearly sixty years ago, renowned London artist Patrick Adams painted his most famous work: a portrait of his beloved Emma Temple, a fellow bohemian with whom he shared his life. Years after Patrick’s death, ninety-year-old Emma still has the painting hanging over her bed at their country home as a testament to their love.
To Emma’s granddaughter, Laura, the portrait is also a symbol of so much to come. The masterpiece is serving as collateral to pay Laura’s tuition at a prestigious music school. Then the impossible happens when an appraiser claims the painting is a fraud. For Laura, the accusation jeopardizes her future. For Emma, it casts doubt on everything she believed about her relationship with Patrick. Laura is determined to prove that Patrick did indeed paint the portrait. Both her grandmother’s and Patrick’s legacies are worth fighting for.
As the stories of two women entwine, it’s time for Emma to summon up the past—even at the risk of revealing its unspoken secrets.

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Nimona by Noelle Stevenson was another book read for the Battle of the Books. In all fairness, I never would have picked it on my own. It's a graphic novel, and I'm an old lady who calls those 'comic books.' One of the battle team members was asking a question about the book today, and I couldn't recognize the character in the picture. See, I remember WORDS more than illustrations. I'm grateful that each battle usually has only one graphic novel.

Nemeses! Dragons! Science! Symbolism! All these and more await in this brilliantly subversive, sharply irreverent epic from Noelle Stevenson. Featuring an exclusive epilogue not seen in the web comic, along with bonus conceptual sketches and revised pages throughout, this gorgeous full-color graphic novel has been hailed by critics and fans alike as the arrival of a “superstar” talent (NPR.org).
Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren't the heroes everyone thinks they are.
But as small acts of mischief escalate into a vicious battle, Lord Blackheart realizes that Nimona's powers are as murky and mysterious as her past. And her unpredictable wild side might be more dangerous than he is willing to admit.

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The Secret Healer by Ellin Carsta was another book I found on my Kindle. This engaging book was about a girl training with the local midwife, who learned she had gifts that helped to calm those suffering and receiving treatment from the midwife. When a local scandal gets turned around and an abusive man tries to get the young healer to take the fall for his crimes, she goes on the run and soon establishes a happy and successful new life. What could go wrong?? This is the first book in a series, and I'd love to read more with these characters.

In the fourteenth century, opportunities for women are limited to the home. But spirited young Madlen finds her calling as assistant to the city’s trusted midwife, Clara. Working alongside Clara, Madlen develops a surprisingly soothing technique and quickly becomes a talented healer.
After Clara’s tragic death, Madlen alone rushes to assist the birth of a local nobleman’s child. But rather than the joy of birth, Madlen walks into an accusation of murder and witchcraft because of her extraordinary gifts. Forced to flee her own town, she establishes a new identity in the home of her aunt. Yet even though it endangers her life, she cannot resist the urge to help the sick patients who seek out her miraculous treatment. When she meets handsome Johannes—an investigator hired by the Church to bring her to justice for sacrilegious acts—she becomes drawn to the very man who could destroy her. 

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Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson was a beautiful poetry book for the Battle of the Books. I started out not liking this one as much as I did by the end. Her poetry finally got to my soul, and I loved how she told the story of her life in verse.

Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. Touching and powerful, each poem is both accessible and emotionally charged, each line a glimpse into a child’s soul as she searches for her place in the world. Woodson’s eloquent poetry also reflects the joy of finding her voice through writing stories, despite the fact that she struggled with reading as a child. Her love of stories inspired her and stayed with her, creating the first sparks of the gifted writer she was to become.

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The Designer by Marius Gabriel was another book I found on my Kindle (sensing a trend here since I didn't have any books to review last month? LOL). Probably another Amazon Prime book, but the Amazon page shows this one was released in October 2017. I'm way behind! Anyway, I digress.
Apparently, I really like WWII books - this one reminded me a lot of the Beautiful Exiles story of Martha Gellhorn that I read in November 2018. In The Designer, a woman married to a press member in Paris decides to leave her rotten husband and strike out on her own, with the friends she has made in Paris. When your closest friend is Christian Dior, it makes for an interesting story. And she becomes a fashion writer. I liked it and enjoyed immersing myself in that time/culture again.

In 1944, newly married Copper Reilly arrives in Paris soon after the liberation. While the city celebrates its freedom, she’s stuck in the prison of an unhappy marriage. When her husband commits one betrayal too many, Copper demands a separation.
Alone in Paris, she finds an unlikely new friend: an obscure, middle-aged designer from the back rooms of a decaying fashion house whose timid nature and reluctance for fame clash with the bold brilliance of his designs. His name is Christian Dior.
Realising his genius, Copper urges Dior to strike out on his own, helping to pull him away from his insecurities and towards stardom. With just a camera and a typewriter, she takes her own advice and ventures into the wild and colourful world of fashion journalism.
Soon Copper finds herself torn between two very different suitors, questioning who she is and what she truly wants. As the city rebuilds and opulence returns, can Copper make a new, love-filled life for herself?

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Wild Man Island by Will Hobbs was another Battle book. I enjoyed this book more than I expected to, especially with what I considered a bit of a surprise at the ending. I picked it up just expecting a short read - good or bad, just getting it done. I was soon interested in finding out the rest of Andy Galloway's castaway story. While this was not a true story, it read like it could have been, thanks to the author's extensive experiences kayaking in the area.

On the last day of a sea kayaking trip in southeast Alaska, fourteen-year-old Andy Galloway paddles away from his group to visit the nearby site where his archaeologist father died trying to solve the mystery of the first Americans. A sudden, violent storm blows Andy's kayak off course and washes him ashore on Admiralty Island, an immense wilderness known as the Fortress of the Bears. Struggling to survive, Andy encounters a dog running with wolves and then a man toting a stone-tipped spear. The wild man vanishes into the forest, but the dog reappears and leads Andy to a cave filled with Stone Age tools and weapons. Running for his life, Andy retreats deep into the cave, where danger, suspense, and discovery await.

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Woo-hoo! Seven books! And I'm on track to read at least as many in January, but that pesky job thing started again today. What have your favorite reads been lately?

Books - November 2018

I finished reading four books in November. Here's the Amazon summary of each, along with a quick splash of my thoughts.

Beautiful Exiles by Meg Waite Clayton must have been one of my Prime Amazon picks. It's a historical/biographical fiction about the fascinating Martha Gellhorn. I admit I was previously completely unfamiliar with the story of Ernest Hemingway's third wife, and she was quite interesting in her own right. Overall, I'd give this one 3 out of 5 stars. It dragged a little in parts, and I wished she would do more to stand up for herself - which is a wish way more suited to a fiction read than this. LOL

"Key West, 1936. Headstrong, accomplished journalist Martha Gellhorn is confident with words but less so with men when she meets disheveled literary titan Ernest Hemingway in a dive bar. Their friendship—forged over writing, talk, and family dinners—flourishes into something undeniable in Madrid while they’re covering the Spanish Civil War.Martha reveres him. The very married Hemingway is taken with Martha—her beauty, her ambition, and her fearless spirit. And as Hemingway tells her, the most powerful love stories are always set against the fury of war. The risks are so much greater. They’re made for each other.
With their romance unfolding as they travel the globe, Martha establishes herself as one of the world’s foremost war correspondents, and Hemingway begins the novel that will win him the Nobel Prize for Literature. Beautiful Exiles is a stirring story of lovers and rivals, of the breathless attraction to power and fame, and of one woman—ahead of her time—claiming her own identity from the wreckage of love."

The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood was recommended to me by a friend who knew I've loved everything I've read by Margaret Atwood so far. This was definitely another great book by Atwood to add to my list to recommend. The characters and situations are always presented so believeably that you can forget it's fiction when you're halfway through. I finished reading the book and wondered how the main characters are doing now. I'd give it 4.5 out of 5 stars. I don't know that I'd read it again, since I know all the twists and turns now.

"Stan and Charmaine are a married couple trying to stay afloat in the midst of an economic and social collapse. Job loss has forced them to live in their car, leaving them vulnerable to roving gangs. They desperately need to turn their situation around—and fast. The Positron Project in the town of Consilience seems to be the answer to their prayers. No one is unemployed and everyone gets a comfortable, clean house to live in . . . for six months out of the year. On alternating months, residents of Consilience must leave their homes and function as inmates in the Positron prison system. Once their month of service in the prison is completed, they can return to their "civilian" homes.     At first, this doesn't seem like too much of a sacrifice to make in order to have a roof over one's head and food to eat. But when Charmaine becomes romantically involved with the man who lives in their house during the months when she and Stan are in the prison, a series of troubling events unfolds, putting Stan's life in danger. With each passing day, Positron looks less like a prayer answered and more like a chilling prophecy fulfilled."

Lincoln's Spymaster by Samantha Seiple is the first book I've read for our middle school battle of the books so far this year. It was a non-fiction book about Allan Pinkerton and his founding of the first private investigation business. I'd only give it 2 out of 5 stars. It read like a history book. But if history is your jam, there were lots of good facts, as well as some great photos of historical figures and places.

"Lincoln's Spymaster tells the dangerous and action-packed adventures of Allan Pinkerton, America's first private eye and Lincoln's most trusted spymaster.

Pinkerton was just a poor immigrant barrel-maker in Illinois when he stumbled across his first case just miles from his home. His reputation grew and people began approaching Pinkerton with their cases, leading him to open the first-of-its-kind private detective agency. Pinkerton assembled a team of undercover agents, and together they caught train robbers, counterfeiters, and other outlaws. Soon these outlaws, including Jesse James, became their nemeses. Danger didn't stop the agency! The team even uncovered and stopped an assassination plot against president-elect Abraham Lincoln! Seeing firsthand the value of Pinkerton's service, Lincoln funded Pinkerton's spy network, a precursor to the Secret Service. Allan Pinkerton is known as the father of modern day espionage, and this is the first book for young adults to tell his story!"

The fourth book I read in November was probably an Amazon Prime first-reads book too, since I found it on my kindle. It was actually closer to a short story, but I wish it had been longer and I may check out the books that come after this prequel.

The Beautiful Ones by Lori Brighton was an interesting twist on a young-adult vampire story. It was a quick read, and definitely enticed me to remember that I'd like to hear more about the story. I'd give it 4 out of 5 stars.

"Some say we’re special, and that’s why we’re kept in seclusion. Beyond those walls evil lurks and innocent prey would be lost in minutes. Gone. Destroyed. Forgotten. Others say the opposite: we’re locked away because there’s something wrong with us. If we roamed the outside world, we might taint the beautiful ones. A species so pure, that to merely be in their presence is a gift. 
As for my beliefs…I’m not sure. 
But I do know one thing: neither of those reasons explains why it is that they come for us only after we’ve passed the age of sixteen. Whether we want to go or not, we’re taken through those iron gates. Escorted away from the only home we’ve ever known, escorted to our destiny—whatever that destiny may be—never to be seen again. "

So what good books have you read lately? I've already finished two in December - one YA for the battle, and one from my TBR list on my kindle... Check out what I have to say about them in early January.

Middle School Battle of the Books - 2019

Have you ever been part of a 'Battle of the Books' before? My daughter is participating in her second one this year. Our local library sponsors a battle for the fifth-graders in the school district, and a battle for the sixth-graders (which also sort of has a school component to it - we'll see which of our three middle schools takes home the trophy for the winning team!).

In the fifth-grade battle, all of the answers were a book title and author (from the list of books that we had read and studied over the months leading up to the battle). This year for our sixth-grade battle, the questions can be much harder - the answers will NOT all be the title and auther like in the fifth-grade battle.

The study guide suggestions for the sixth-grade battle specify that the questions can be any of the following types:

• Cover significant events
• Cover character development
• Cover unique settings in time or place
• Ask questions from the preface, epilogue, or biographical info in the book
• Ask questions about details that you normally would never need to know (like the character's address, or the name of the neighbor's pet fish, etc -- these are the types of questions that will differentiate the winning team from the others)

Each sixth-grade team has three - six members who all attend the same middle school. And in case the books weren't a challenge enough, teams are also encouraged to create an interesting book-related team name and dress in costume. There are also prizes for the team name, the best overall costume, and the best use of a book theme. No pressure, right?

The battle is held in early February. Until then, our task is to read and study these books (all summaries copied from Amazon):

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jaqueline Woodson (poetry/memoir)

"Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. Touching and powerful, each poem is both accessible and emotionally charged, each line a glimpse into a child’s soul as she searches for her place in the world. Woodson’s eloquent poetry also reflects the joy of finding her voice through writing stories, despite the fact that she struggled with reading as a child. Her love of stories inspired her and stayed with her, creating the first sparks of the gifted writer she was to become.

Includes 7 new poems, including "Brown Girl Dreaming"."



Lincoln's Spymaster by Samantha Seiple (nonfiction)


"Lincoln's Spymaster tells the dangerous and action-packed adventures of Allan Pinkerton, America's first private eye and Lincoln's most trusted spymaster.
Pinkerton was just a poor immigrant barrel-maker in Illinois when he stumbled across his first case just miles from his home. His reputation grew and people began approaching Pinkerton with their cases, leading him to open the first-of-its-kind private detective agency. Pinkerton assembled a team of undercover agents, and together they caught train robbers, counterfeiters, and other outlaws. Soon these outlaws, including Jesse James, became their nemeses. Danger didn't stop the agency! The team even uncovered and stopped an assassination plot against president-elect Abraham Lincoln! Seeing firsthand the value of Pinkerton's service, Lincoln funded Pinkerton's spy network, a precursor to the Secret Service. Allan Pinkerton is known as the father of modern day espionage, and this is the first book for young adults to tell his story!"

Nimona by Noelle Stevensen (graphic novel)

"Nemeses! Dragons! Science! Symbolism! All these and more await in this brilliantly subversive, sharply irreverent epic from Noelle Stevenson. Featuring an exclusive epilogue not seen in the web comic, along with bonus conceptual sketches and revised pages throughout, this gorgeous full-color graphic novel has been hailed by critics and fans alike as the arrival of a “superstar” talent (NPR.org).

Nimona is an impulsive young shapeshifter with a knack for villainy. Lord Ballister Blackheart is a villain with a vendetta. As sidekick and supervillain, Nimona and Lord Blackheart are about to wreak some serious havoc. Their mission: prove to the kingdom that Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin and his buddies at the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics aren't the heroes everyone thinks they are.

But as small acts of mischief escalate into a vicious battle, Lord Blackheart realizes that Nimona's powers are as murky and mysterious as her past. And her unpredictable wild side might be more dangerous than he is willing to admit."

One Crazy Summer by Rita Willilams-Garcia (historical fiction)

"Eleven-year-old Delphine is like a mother to her two younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern. She's had to be, ever since their mother, Cecile, left them seven years ago for a radical new life in California. But when the sisters arrive from Brooklyn to spend the summer with their mother, Cecile is nothing like they imagined.

While the girls hope to go to Disneyland and meet Tinker Bell, their mother sends them to a day camp run by the Black Panthers. Unexpectedly, Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern learn much about their family, their country, and themselves during one truly crazy summer."

The Shadow Cipher by Laura Ruby (science fiction)

"It was 1798 when the Morningstarr twins arrived in New York with a vision for a magnificent city: towering skyscrapers, dazzling machines, and winding train lines, all running on technology no one had ever seen before.

Fifty-seven years later, the enigmatic architects disappeared, leaving behind for the people of New York the Old York Cipher—a puzzle laid into the shining city they constructed, at the end of which was promised a treasure beyond all imagining. By the present day, however, the puzzle has never been solved, and the greatest mystery of the modern world is little more than a tourist attraction.

Tess and Theo Biedermann and their friend Jaime Cruz live in a Morningstarr apartment—until a real estate developer announces that the city has agreed to sell him the five remaining Morningstarr buildings. Their likely destruction means the end of a dream long held by the people of New York.

And if Tess, Theo, and Jaime want to save their home, they have to prove that the Old York Cipher is real. Which means they have to solve it."

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner (fantasy)

"Eugenides, the queen’s thief, can steal anything—or so he says. When his boasting lands him in prison and the king’s magus invites him on a quest to steal a legendary object, he’s in no position to refuse. The magus thinks he has the right tool for the job, but Gen has plans of his own. The Queen’s Thief novels have been praised by writers, critics, reviewers, and fans, and have been honored with glowing reviews, “best of” citations, and numerous awards, including the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, a Newbery Honor, the Andre Norton Award shortlist, and the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award. Discover and rediscover the stand-alone companions, The Queen of Attolia, The King of Attolia, and A Conspiracy of Kings, all epic novels set in the world of the Queen’s Thief."

Wild Man Island by Will Hobbs (realistic fiction)

"On the last day of a sea kayaking trip in southeast Alaska, fourteen-year-old Andy Galloway paddles away from his group to visit the nearby site where his archaeologist father died trying to solve the mystery of the first Americans. A sudden, violent storm blows Andy's kayak off course and washes him ashore on Admiralty Island, an immense wilderness known as the Fortress of the Bears. Struggling to survive, Andy encounters a dog running with wolves and then a man toting a stone-tipped spear. The wild man vanishes into the forest, but the dog reappears and leads Andy to a cave filled with Stone Age tools and weapons. Running for his life, Andy retreats deep into the cave, where danger, suspense, and discovery await."

Whew. We've definitely got a lot to do! Have you read any of these books before? Have any great ideas for questions, or where to find questions so we can quiz ourselves and be prepared?

No matter what, we're sure to have lots of fun :)

Books - October 2018

As I hinted at in an earlier post, October was not my fastest reading month. Or rather, the rest of my October life was pretty busy. Here's a bit about the two books I did finish reading last month.

To the Bridge: A True Story of Motherhood and Murder by Nancy Rommelmann was admittedly a slow read. A story about a mother attempting to murder two of her children isn't something you really want to sink too deep into.

The comments on my full review at Books I Think You Should Read agree. I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. The way the author of the book found a way to lay out two sides of a situation that we can all agree is wrong, was well done. But you definitely need the right frame of mind to read this book, and still be able to set it down and walk away.

The second book I read in October is one of my all-time favorite books now. I gave What I Leave Behind by Alison McGhee 5 out of 5 stars. I sincerely loved every word and thought from the narrator, Will.

Will has had a few incidents that shook up his life, but he's learned to walk it off. In the three years since his father's death, he walks a lot. I love the thoughts about everything and everyone he walks past. I love that he wants to make the world a better place as he walks. And I love that he seems to be learning that you can't just walk away from everything.

In case you haven't guessed, I'd highly recommend this book. You can read my full review at Books I Think You Should Read.  It's a quick read, with about 200 pages, but half of them are chapter illustrations.


What have you read lately? I'm switching now to alternating books I choose to read with books I'm reading for our local middle school's Battle of the Books (which will take place in February). I'll be sure to tell you all about it as it gets closer!

Books - September 2018

September ushered in the start of the school year for me, and I've worked extra hours every day since then. Which is my excuse for only reading three books last month. I'm trying to keep in mind my goal to read more than that in October, but my progress isn't great so far. My old-lday vision is getting worse, so I had to wait til payday yesterday to upgrade my reading glasses so I can see my latest book clearly. Hahaha...



The first book I read in September was In Your Hands by Ines Pedrosa. First of all (and I did not realize this while reading the book) what an awful name for a book. It's very challenging to search, as there are a lot of books with the same name!

This In Your Hands by Ines Pedrosa was about three generations (using the term loosely, as the second woman was simply raised by the oldest). It was an honest and beautiful representation of woman who made choices that didn't necessarily fall within the mainstream. I enjoyed this book more after I'd finished reading it, when I had some time to ponder the characters and their lives. You can read my full 3 out of 5 star review at Books I Think You Should Read.




The second book I finshed reading in September was The Year of Living Awkwardly: Sophomore Year by Emma Chastain. This was the second book in the series, set to happen immediately following Confessions of a High School Disaster. It's the diaries of Chloe Snow, an endearingly average high-schooler.

In the second book, she is still processing her mother's defection to living on an island to write her novel, but now living with a new boyfriend. She is wrapping up her job at the community pool as school starts, and reconsidering what role she wants her summer co-workers to play in her school-year life. And she isn't entirely comfortable with her father beginning to date, and how that might change her relationships at school, since her dad is dating one of her teachers.

This was a great, amusing read for the end of summer. I gave this 4 out of 5 stars, and you can find my review at Books I Think You Should Read.




The third and final book I read in September was Life Inside My Mind: 31 Authors Share Their Personal Struggles, which was edited by Jessica Burkhart. This was a powerful book of essays by different authors about struggles in mental heath experienced by the authors or their loved ones.

I've thought about several of the author's stories since then. They are all real people. Success has not made them immuned to hard times, and several cite that maybe the amount of time they spend with their own thoughts may make authors even more susceptible to anxiety, depression, and other issues. 

While I did break this book up instead of reading straight through multiple essays, I am glad I read all the essays that were included. I gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars. You can read my review at Books I Think You Should Read.

Although I haven't yet finished a book in October, I am planning on it, and the first one is a bit out of my regular reading lately. Check in here to find out more next month!

Books - August 2018

My reading habits were pretty solid in August. I also got some more books to review, so I'm done picking my own for a while. In August, I finished two books that I really wanted to read on my own (rounding out the Madd Addam trilogy by Margaret Atwood) and two books that were published on September 1, for review.

The first book I finished in August was The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood. This was the second book in the MaddAddam trilogy. I finished Oryx & Crake (the first book in the trilogy) in July.

All three books were about some of the same events, from different perspectives. The first one ended with a bit of a cliffhanger, that really isn't addressed again til the viewpoint of the third book.

I love dystopian fiction (or as Margaret Atwood calls it, speculative fiction), and Margaret Atwood is a phenomenally imaginative story-teller. Of course I loved both The Year of the Flood and MaddAddam (my second book read in August, and the third in the trilogy). I would recommend the trilogy to fans of Margaret Atwood's fiction, or dystopian fiction in general.





The third book I finished in August was All This I Will Give to You by Dolores Redondo. This is a big book, and I became very engrossed in the characters and the mystery they were trying to solve.

Manuel's husband of more than a decade dies miles from where he's supposed to be, and when Manuel goes to identify the body, he finds the family his husband's mother, siblings, in-laws, and lots of drama. Instead of getting closure and moving on, Manuel has a lot of questions he wants answers to first. Check out my full review on Books I Think You Should Read.

The last book I finished in August was I Will Never Leave You by S.M. Thayer. While it was labeled as a thriller, I enjoyed it more as a light read. I found the characters quirky and amusing, but not very relatable.

A super rich woman finds out her husband has a girlfriend and a baby on the way. The girlfriend is hoping to turn her life completely around with the rich new man in her life, and the wife is hoping to eliminate the girlfriend and finally have the baby of her dreams. What a convoluted situation! My full review is on Books I Think You Should Read.




As you know, September is back to school and work for me, but I'm really trying to continue carving out a little 'me' time for reading. I've got one book read and reviewed so far, and hopefully I'll make progress on a few more. Wish me luck!

Books - July 2018

As promised, I've finally taken some time to chill out and read a few books! And I've missed getting together with my friend Liz from BooksIThinkYouShouldRead, so nothing has been reviewed elsewhere (by me, I mean...).
Since I had a few books to choose from (most of them being Amazon Prime First Read books from months past), I'm going to present them in the order I liked them, saving my favorite for last.

#6 - Feast: True Love in and out of the Kitchen by Hannah Howard
From Amazon: "The compulsively readable memoir of a woman at war—with herself, with her body, and with food—while working her way through the underbelly of New York City’s glamorous culinary scene.

Hannah Howard is a Columbia University freshman when she lands a hostess job at Picholine, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Manhattan. Eighteen years old and eager to learn, she’s invigorated by the manic energy and knife-sharp focus of the crew. By day Hannah explores the Columbia arts scene, struggling to find her place. By night she’s intoxicated by boxes of heady truffles and intrigued by the food industry’s insiders. She’s hungry for knowledge, success, and love, but she’s also ravenous because she hasn’t eaten more than yogurt and coffee in days.

Hannah is hiding an eating disorder. The excruciatingly late nights, demanding chefs, bad boyfriends, and destructive obsessions have left a void inside her that she can’t fill. To reconcile her relationships with the food she worships and a body she struggles to accept, Hannah’s going to have to learn to nourish her soul."

My two cents: 'Compulsively readable'? No. Not really. Don't get me wrong - I have plenty of sympathy for anxiety and mental health struggles. But I got this book hoping to read about food, and instead it was about how much she hated food. I feel bad dogging a book by someone who struggles with self esteem, but this book was not at all what I was looking for. I saw food and kitchen and thought it would be a cool book for a new employee to kitchens. Nope. This was my least favorite book this month.

#5 -  A River in Darkness: One Man's Escape from North Korea by Masaji Ishikawa
From Amazon: "The harrowing true story of one man’s life in—and subsequent escape from—North Korea, one of the world’s most brutal totalitarian regimes.

Half-Korean, half-Japanese, Masaji Ishikawa has spent his whole life feeling like a man without a country. This feeling only deepened when his family moved from Japan to North Korea when Ishikawa was just thirteen years old, and unwittingly became members of the lowest social caste. His father, himself a Korean national, was lured to the new Communist country by promises of abundant work, education for his children, and a higher station in society. But the reality of their new life was far from utopian.

In this memoir translated from the original Japanese, Ishikawa candidly recounts his tumultuous upbringing and the brutal thirty-six years he spent living under a crushing totalitarian regime, as well as the challenges he faced repatriating to Japan after barely escaping North Korea with his life. A River in Darkness is not only a shocking portrait of life inside the country but a testament to the dignity—and indomitable nature—of the human spirit."

My two cents: I'm honestly really glad I read this book. There was a huge jump from the sixth spot on this list to the fifth. But it was ultimately depressing.  Masaji made it out of North Korea, but never really was able to establish much of a life again. And thinking about the fact that this is current - that people are still living this tragedy - is so, so sad.

#4 - As Good as True by Cheryl Reid
From Amazon: "A powerful and haunting novel of a woman’s broken past and the painful choices she must make to keep her family and her home.

August 1956. After a night of rage and terror, Anna Nassad wakes to find her abusive husband dead and instinctively hides her bruises and her relief. As the daughter of Syrian immigrants living in segregated Alabama, Anna has never belonged, and now her world is about to erupt.

Days before, Anna set in motion an explosive chain of events by allowing the first black postman to deliver the mail to her house. But it’s her impulsive act of inviting him inside for a glass of water that raises doubts about Anna’s role in her husband’s death.

As threats and suspicions arise in the angry community, Anna must confront her secrets in the face of devastating turmoil and reconcile her anguished relationship with her daughter. Will she discover the strength to fight for those she loves most, even if it means losing all she’s ever known?"

My two cents: The more I think about it, I could easily switch # 5 and #4 on my list... but anyway, this was written really well. It was easy to imagine Anna's choices in each situation, since her emotions were so compellingly presented. The first chapter begins with finding her dead husband, and I went from wondering what happened to hoping I was guessing right in no time at all. Anna definitely inspired compassion for her life and circumstances. 

#3 - White Rose, Black Forest by Eoin Dempsey
From Amazon: "In the shadows of World War II, trust becomes the greatest risk of all for two strangers.

December 1943. In the years before the rise of Hitler, the Gerber family’s summer cottage was filled with laughter. Now, as deep drifts of snow blanket the Black Forest, German dissenter Franka Gerber is alone and hopeless. Fervor and brutality have swept through her homeland, taking away both her father and her brother and leaving her with no reason to live.

That is, until she discovers an unconscious airman lying in the snow wearing a Luftwaffe uniform, his parachute flapping in the wind. Unwilling to let him die, Franka takes him to her family’s isolated cabin despite her hatred for the regime he represents. But when it turns out that he is not who he seems, Franka begins a race against time to unravel the mystery of the airman’s true identity. Their tenuous bond becomes as inseparable as it is dangerous. Hunted by the Gestapo, can they trust each other enough to join forces on a mission that could change the face of the war and their own lives forever?"

My two cents: I admittedly have enjoyed all of the WWII novels I can recall. I enjoyed Franka's struggles and her character, as she suffered so greatly, but still retained her caring nature. Her history was so interesting, and I always wanted more stories of her earlier life, both before and in the early times of the war. While the ending of the book seemed a little too quick and thrown together, it was exactly how I wanted it to end, so I can't complain much.

#2 - Matchmaking for Beginners: A Novel by Maddie Dawson
From Amazon: "A delightful, light-as-air romance that successfully straddles the line between sweet and smart without ever being silly…The novel is simply captivating from beginning to end.” —Associated Press

Marnie MacGraw wants an ordinary life—a husband, kids, and a minivan in the suburbs. Now that she’s marrying the man of her dreams, she’s sure this is the life she’ll get. Then Marnie meets Blix Holliday, her fiancé’s irascible matchmaking great-aunt who’s dying, and everything changes—just as Blix told her it would.

When her marriage ends after two miserable weeks, Marnie is understandably shocked. She’s even more astonished to find that she’s inherited Blix’s Brooklyn brownstone along with all of Blix’s unfinished “projects”: the heartbroken, oddball friends and neighbors running from happiness. Marnie doesn’t believe she’s anything special, but Blix somehow knew she was the perfect person to follow in her matchmaker footsteps.

And Blix was also right about some things Marnie must learn the hard way: love is hard to recognize, and the ones who push love away often are the ones who need it most."

My two cents: This book was truly delightful, as the Amazon review says. I love, love, loved Marnie and Blix, and all of the interesting characters they were with in their Brooklyn life. I also enjoy what my husband refers to as 'airy, fairy, sticks & berries.' Reading about Marie's and Blix's compulsions to find love everywhere, and for everyone made my afternoon reading time so blissful. I would love another book continuing Marnie's now-charmed life. 

P.S. - this was also reviewed recently by Liz on BooksIThinkYouShouldRead.

#1 - Oryx and Crake (MaddAddam Trilogy) by Margaret Atwood
From Amazon: "Oryx and Crake is at once an unforgettable love story and a compelling vision of the future. Snowman, known as Jimmy before mankind was overwhelmed by a plague, is struggling to survive in a world where he may be the last human, and mourning the loss of his best friend, Crake, and the beautiful and elusive Oryx whom they both loved. In search of answers, Snowman embarks on a journey–with the help of the green-eyed Children of Crake–through the lush wilderness that was so recently a great city, until powerful corporations took mankind on an uncontrolled genetic engineering ride. Margaret Atwood projects us into a near future that is both all too familiar and beyond our imagining."

My two cents: Wow, wow, wow. Now, I'm already a Margaret Atwood fan from the Handmaid's Tale, but this stuff coming out of her head is nuts! She calls it not dystopian, but 'speculative fiction.' If dystopian fiction is your style, you absolutely owe it to yourself to read this whole trilogy (on sale right now!). I've already finished the second book in August, and I'm almost done with the third. All three sort of re-tell parts of the story from different viewpoints, while also progressing through the time and struggles. 


I've already finished nearly two books in August - let's see if I can beat July's record, eh?

Books - June 2018

Just to be clear, I've already read more books in July than in April, May, or June. :)

But to summarize last month, here's what I read in June:

When I'm not even picking my own books, I'm not sure how I keep getting intriguing mysteries. Twist of Faith by Ellen J Greene was 3.5 out of 5 stars from me on Books I Think You Should Read. You can see my full review there.

In short, it's the story of an orphan raised by her seemingly reluctant guardian after being found as a toddler abandoned at a church. No one has ever given her any detail about her biological background, but they don't seem keen to include her in her new family either. Once her adoptive mother dies, she starts finding clues about murders in her mother's things. She gets two co-workers to help her try and find out the truth, and the story just gets more convoluted from there...

The second book I finished in June was Punishment by Scott J Holliday. This was another 3.5 out of 5 stars from me on Books I Think You Should Read. She also has a giveaway on this one, but it ends this week (July 19, 2018). 

This is another murder mystery, with a sci-fi twist. The police (and others) are now able to pull memories from one person, and share them with another. Detective John Barnes is responsible for reviewing the memories of the victims of a serial killer, and the killer even knows he'll see those memories. The mystery is figuring out what links the victims, who could be next, and how to stop him.

As promised, July has almost three books finished already - go, me! Check back in August to get my thoughts on them.

Books - May 2018

I keep hoping for more time to read! I only finished two books in May, but both of them were reviews I was doing, so I sort of was waiting to post this til after they're both published. The second one was finally released less than a week ago - so here they are:

The first book I finished reading in June was TwoSpells by Mark Morrison. This is his first novel, and it's a great fantasy read! A sibling pair find they have a magical lineage, and need to fight an evil they previously knew nothing about til they went to the place their mother was raised and got to explore a magic library with their grandparents.

Check out my full review here.





The second book I finished is the one we were waiting for. The Man on the Roof by Michael Stephenson just came available on Amazon on June 23. This book definitely kept me guessing. It's about a quiet street where the neighbors all have secrets, and one of them is a killer. I admittedly never try very hard to solve the mysteries I read, but this one had so many dramatic secrets of other neighbors, I don't think most readers will solve it before the big reveal.

You can read my full review here.




I've already read two books for June - we'll see if I can squeeze one more in this weekend! Watch for the post next month

Book Review - The Man on the Roof by Michael Stephenson

Most of those who live in the cul-de-sac are friends of convenience. Besides the old man who declares he sees a man on a neighbor’s house at night, they do things together. Their kids (all but one family has them) attend school and hang out together, the women all shop together, and several families have keys to each other’s houses.

But then a body is found hanging over the street outside their houses. He was a teenager, and while all the families claim not to have much to do with him, they all end up having potential ties with the victim.

In ‘The Man on the Roof’ by Michael Stephenson, we get glimpses of the secrets the neighbors know about each other, and the secrets they are trying to hide. What we don’t know is who is the killer? And will someone else end up dead?

I really enjoyed this book. The narration varied with each chapter, but I never knew who was talking about whose secrets. The chapters were just identified with their suspect numbers. While I wondered about each of the suspects, I was never convinced enough to guess who was the real killer, as opposed to it being someone else. It also made me wonder about my own neighbors’ secrets.

I'd give this book 4.5 out of 5 stars. It is a wonderful and intriguing summer read for any adult who loves suspense and mystery. Some of the secrets are definitely of an adult nature, so this isn’t to be confused with an entertaining young adult read. If you’re a grown-up who doesn’t mind reading about things that some people may prefer kept quiet, this book will hold your interest while you guess who the killer may be. You'll be surprised when you finally get to who and why.

The Man on the Roof is available for pre-order on Amazon now, and would be delivered to your Kindle on June 22, 2018.


I recieved an electronic copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review - TwoSpells by Mark Morrison

I was provided an electronic copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Beautiful cover!

Sarah and Jon (twins, with Jon just a couple minutes older) were expecting a boring summer visiting their grandparents in Wales. But after hitting a large creature with the car, and passing the same TwoSpells sign multiple times while feeling like they’re lost, everything starts to seem a bit out of the ordinary.

Upon arrival at their grandparents’ home, their mother disappears on a mysterious errand, and the twins are left to do their grandparents bidding around the farm. In the evening, though, they’re delighted to listen to stories of their supposedly magical heritage, things they’d never known about, since they were raised far away as ‘Regular’ non-magical people.

The story really gets moving when they finally visit the legendary TwoSpells library with their grandparents. There is indeed a magical battle, as their grandparents told them about. The library is the middle of a family battle in which the twins are critical players, even though they never knew til days before. They suddenly have to learn how to use their magical library cards to travel in and out of stories, as well as how to fight creatures they’ve never seen or heard of before. Luckily they have the help of manufactured Golems, a couple of library Guardians, and even their mother as a magical being they’ve never witnessed.

TwoSpells, the first book by author Mark Morrison, is a great mystical read of a classic good vs evil struggle. There’s so much more to find out in books still to come! I’d give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars, and recommend it for middle-grade readers who enjoy fantasy.

Books - April 2018

You could not even believe right now how much I'm looking forward to summer, and more time to read! Working with the schools has been great for me this year, but as it's occurred to me that I don't work when the kids don't go to school, I've been hustling and working lots of extra hours while I can.

In April, I only finished two books! Here they are.

The first book I read in April was Guilt by Amanda Robson. It's a great story of two sisters and the man who turns them against each other. I reviewed this one for Books I Think You Should Read.

In short, I think this would make an intriguing beach read. It was a bit confusing toward the beginning, so it wouldn't give away the end. This helped make it a page-turner for me - I wanted to find out what had really happened!

The other book I read in April was one of the best books I've read in a while! A Blood Thing by James Hankins is scheduled to be published June 5, 2018, and you should get it. The governor of Vermont (and his family) are being blackmailed by someone framing their disabled brother for a terrible crime. The plan is so intricate, I never saw most of it coming.

Check out my full review for this one on Books I Think You Should Read. She's also having a giveaway (ends May 24, 2018).


Summer is coming - what do you recommend as a great read? Or what would you like me to check out for you? I'm all ears. :)