tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54019925819044286272024-02-19T11:20:12.692-08:00Adventures of a BibliophileSerindehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04998792019129349517noreply@blogger.comBlogger229125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5401992581904428627.post-90459484547609503462022-02-07T17:07:00.002-08:002022-02-07T17:07:15.674-08:00Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead by Elle Cosimano (⭐️⭐️⭐️)<p></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleEmphasizedBody; font-weight: bold;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgSk95fUfeiPoiThxVXxzmXgnMw3F4RAs8n2lQxxDoRpPIbWLZZB2KJR-CmgvI9IWucOkdK7dlr5cwghiChw_U9Y41fFtdv06gWL0KPaImVu4bQQwdaFjbhhfzq7oWfWC2GOVJFSp1ZM2O5GO2hbPSgGVS8g8gS3y5UD6v3kssKVL-mJBBV7qKk7vQi=s394" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="255" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgSk95fUfeiPoiThxVXxzmXgnMw3F4RAs8n2lQxxDoRpPIbWLZZB2KJR-CmgvI9IWucOkdK7dlr5cwghiChw_U9Y41fFtdv06gWL0KPaImVu4bQQwdaFjbhhfzq7oWfWC2GOVJFSp1ZM2O5GO2hbPSgGVS8g8gS3y5UD6v3kssKVL-mJBBV7qKk7vQi=s320" width="207" /></a></div>Goodreads book description:<span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleEmphasizedItalicBody; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"></span><p></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Finlay Donovan is</span><span class="s4" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">―</span><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">once again</span><span class="s4" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">―</span><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">struggling to finish her next novel and keep her head above water as a single mother of two. On the bright side, she has her live-in nanny and confidant Vero to rely on, and the only dead body she's dealt with lately is that of her daughter's pet goldfish.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">On the not-so-bright side, someone out there wants her ex-husband, Steven, out of the picture. Permanently. Whatever else Steven may be, he's a good father, but saving him will send her down a rabbit hole of hit-women disguised as soccer moms, and a little bit more involvement with the Russian mob than she'd like.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Meanwhile, Vero's keeping secrets, and Detective Nick Anthony seems determined to get back into her life. He may be a hot cop, but Finlay's first priority is preventing her family from sleeping with the fishes... and if that means bending a few laws then so be it.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">With her next book's deadline looming and an ex-husband to keep alive, Finlay is quickly coming to the end of her rope. She can only hope there isn't a noose at the end of it...</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s3" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleEmphasizedBody; font-weight: bold;">My Review:</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">So my review of the first book was only a three star too, but I said I liked the series premise and then I would read the second book, so here I am. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I still don’t care for Finley Donovan herself, she’s really whiny and pathetic for a lead character to me. So any of the parts that talk about what a mess her life is drive me up the wall. But once you get to the actual mystery part it’s good. I also really like Vero.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">I really started to enjoy this book at about 50%…then things got rolling and Finn focused on solving the mystery rather than her life. I did not see FedUp being who they were, bit it was a fun twist at the end. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I’m also going to end up reading the next one because she left it on a cliff hanger…sigh…I just hope it focuses more on the mystery and less on Finn’s life choices.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s5" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleItalicBody; font-style: italic;">*I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.*</span></p>Serindehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04998792019129349517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5401992581904428627.post-81318310997560210712022-02-02T20:29:00.002-08:002022-02-02T20:29:57.451-08:00Castles in their Bones (Castles in their Bones #1) by Laura Sebastian (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)<div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleEmphasizedBody; font-size: 18.36px; font-weight: bold;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiSY8_t6uW4uRQUWXCg18i188UUKfPZCLPbKhPbzvCiNl7T_9iaKa8QVC5pSu6g3zQt7XHlBur-j9ScJZM7uANPIH0g6IcEKTo9flLZKuMfzETfwrFK0RARXyfPsjpUgqqybiX66hJ-CN3ZEhEzGTvWoWxCWYHEEiILOAFcvCdPhHuxwGm5gEcZV-d2=s276" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="276" data-original-width="183" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiSY8_t6uW4uRQUWXCg18i188UUKfPZCLPbKhPbzvCiNl7T_9iaKa8QVC5pSu6g3zQt7XHlBur-j9ScJZM7uANPIH0g6IcEKTo9flLZKuMfzETfwrFK0RARXyfPsjpUgqqybiX66hJ-CN3ZEhEzGTvWoWxCWYHEEiILOAFcvCdPhHuxwGm5gEcZV-d2" width="183" /></a></div>Goodreads book description:<br /></span><span class="s1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleEmphasizedBody; font-size: 18.36px;">New trilogy from the </span><span class="s2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleEmphasizedItalicBody; font-size: 18.36px; font-style: italic;">NYT</span><span class="s1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleEmphasizedBody; font-size: 18.36px;"> Bestselling author of </span><span class="s2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleEmphasizedItalicBody; font-size: 18.36px; font-style: italic;">Ash Princess<br /></span><span class="s3" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;">The plot: overthrow a kingdom. The goal: world domination. The plan: marriage.<br /></span><span class="s3" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;">Trained for from birth in espionage and seduction, the triplet princesses of Bessemia must travel to three distant lands to marry three princes and enact their Queen mother's plan to rule from sea to sea. But when they arrive, each sister discovers her task is not so simple, and their mother's motives may not be what they seem.</span><br /><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleEmphasizedBody; font-size: 18.36px; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleEmphasizedBody; font-size: 18.36px; font-weight: bold;">My Review:</span><br /><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;">I loved and hated the sisters. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I loved Sophronia, Beatriz I went back and forth on, and Daphne I hated more than I liked. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I admit I sometimes have a little bit of a problem keeping where everybody was straight, but I think that was more me and my frazzled mom brain than the book. I loved how twisty and devious the sisters and the storyline was. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I found my self becoming really attached to each sister, even Daphne. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I will not give spoilers, but the ending left me shocked and so so sad. I am praying for a plot twist at the beginning of the book too like there’s no tomorrow, the ending could not be the ending. And I cannot wait to read the next one in the series. At first I was going to give this 4 stars, but then I kept waking up in the night to think about the ending, and I had to change it to a 5 star read.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23.8px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleItalicBody; font-size: 18.36px; font-style: italic;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleItalicBody; font-size: 18.36px; font-style: italic;">*I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.*</span></p></div><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23.8px;"><span class="s4" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleItalicBody; font-size: 18.36px; font-style: italic;"></span></p>Serindehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04998792019129349517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5401992581904428627.post-25792604164911675022022-02-02T05:00:00.001-08:002022-02-02T05:00:00.176-08:00The One Hundred Years of Lenin and Margot (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)<p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleEmphasizedBody; font-size: 18.36px; font-weight: bold;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSKim-nLj_XA0dW4OQjEi2Davv4ImqjteOfsOTfqbF9OHkDF6A3_ZnVgHcoS6N3QlIhJa98yZQEvdJMQHgrLmLhzrpe_7bH2fO4gjSrGeG06XyUhzo9DCo1il2oE9USMCXbZ7p80zm9XEJNZtYA9bQjg-0PL97ZlR1hF2z_i_tK4l5DCedQdnaCNho=s276" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="276" data-original-width="183" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSKim-nLj_XA0dW4OQjEi2Davv4ImqjteOfsOTfqbF9OHkDF6A3_ZnVgHcoS6N3QlIhJa98yZQEvdJMQHgrLmLhzrpe_7bH2fO4gjSrGeG06XyUhzo9DCo1il2oE9USMCXbZ7p80zm9XEJNZtYA9bQjg-0PL97ZlR1hF2z_i_tK4l5DCedQdnaCNho" width="183" /></a></div><b>Goodreads book description:</b><br /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;">Life is short - no one knows that better than 17 year-old Lenni Petterssen. On the Terminal ward, the nurses are offering their condolences already, but Lenni still has plenty of living to do.</span><p></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;">For a start, she has questions about her fate she needs answers to, and stories yet to uncover.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;">When she meets 83-year-old Margot, a fellow patient in purple pyjamas offering new friendship and enviable artistic skills, Lenni's life begins to soar in ways she'd never imagined.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;">As their bond deepens, a world of stories opens up: of wartime love and loss, of misunderstanding and reconciliation, of courage, kindness and joy.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;">Stories that have led them to the end of their days.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23.8px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleEmphasizedBody; font-size: 18.36px; font-weight: bold;">My Review:</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">I started off trying to do this as a buddy read, but I didn’t finish it in time for the discussion. This was a really good book, but it’s heavy. Even though I knew the ending, I still cried the entire last three chapters. It makes you feel all the feels, and you really come to love the characters and wish for a miracle. But I think that’s part of the magic of this book, is the expected outcome happens but you love the characters anyways.</p>Serindehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04998792019129349517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5401992581904428627.post-15555032459589028802022-02-01T20:47:00.002-08:002022-02-01T20:47:32.496-08:00The New Spring by Robert Jordan (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)<p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleEmphasizedBody; font-size: 18.36px; font-weight: bold;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdwugvzH7I3bi3RnGsESmi3JdpmNn1tYZ2WUFNLrQ--8zFRxIKxq0TyLY9UgNtn_wLFz8ECKqwO0-_zmWo9FUgi0Jukt00uJjadv8C75wbzgHFNsnAJyCFJTJZpc8pz6Zw1nyo0IWpY4vprAyrrJYWHn-KnlFduhR_8aMRPeHPwDJUpDrvpjIJ8QHY=s285" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="285" data-original-width="177" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdwugvzH7I3bi3RnGsESmi3JdpmNn1tYZ2WUFNLrQ--8zFRxIKxq0TyLY9UgNtn_wLFz8ECKqwO0-_zmWo9FUgi0Jukt00uJjadv8C75wbzgHFNsnAJyCFJTJZpc8pz6Zw1nyo0IWpY4vprAyrrJYWHn-KnlFduhR_8aMRPeHPwDJUpDrvpjIJ8QHY" width="177" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Goodreads book description:</span></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the shadow. Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time. .</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">From America's premier fantasy writer---#1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Crossroads of Twilight ---comes New Spring: The Novel For three days battle has raged in the snow around the great city of Tar Valon. In the city, a Foretelling of the future is uttered. On the slopes of Dragonmount, the immense mountain that looms over the city, is born an infant prophesied to change the world. That child must be found before the forces of the Shadow have an opportunity to kill him. Moiraine Damodred, a young Accepted soon to be raised to Aes Sedai, and Lan Mandragoran, a soldier fighting in the battle, are set on paths that will bind their lives together. But those paths are filled with complications and dangers, for Moiraine, of the Royal House of Cairhien, whose king has just died, and Lan, considered the uncrowned king of a nation long dead, find their lives threatened by the plots of those seeking power. "New Spring," the novella first published in Legends, related some of these events, in compressed form; New Spring: The Novel tells the whole story.</span></p><p></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleEmphasizedBody; font-size: 18.36px; font-weight: bold;">My Review:</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">This was a re-read for me, except I listened to it instead of reading it. This is a prequel from the series, and it really gets you attached to Moraine and Lan. Also because it was written after some the other books, it really lessen the groundwork for the plot twists that are later in the story. I feel like it was solid Jordan raining, and the characters are ones I already knew and loved. I did lay a little bit of world building, but that may have also been because I already had the world built from the other books.</p>Serindehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04998792019129349517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5401992581904428627.post-49326619831891674742022-01-31T05:15:00.004-08:002022-01-31T05:15:00.166-08:00The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont (⭐️⭐️⭐️)<div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleEmphasizedItalicBody; font-size: 18.36px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiAt1uzg43Ba46raXD9Ee5CR7YSjJC26RPHXb7iyFgMtN-D8UPAng0BmG8CWlE_1Ey8juNEhXSs_csy80YGTqayIuct2r86n8CLwJXdvnYPX2ADRXvg_8mX9sN1gDWRXPP5TpFNI94Urylda3S9gm6Tjd_vgdywn-PthBfpV5SNP2zusxEpiZ4nDh0A=s2560" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1684" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiAt1uzg43Ba46raXD9Ee5CR7YSjJC26RPHXb7iyFgMtN-D8UPAng0BmG8CWlE_1Ey8juNEhXSs_csy80YGTqayIuct2r86n8CLwJXdvnYPX2ADRXvg_8mX9sN1gDWRXPP5TpFNI94Urylda3S9gm6Tjd_vgdywn-PthBfpV5SNP2zusxEpiZ4nDh0A=s320" width="211" /></a></div>Goodreads book description:<br /></span><span class="s3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;">So begins </span><span class="s4" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleItalicBody; font-size: 18.36px; font-style: italic;">The Christie Affair</span><span class="s3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;">, told from the point of view of Miss Nan O'Dea, a fictional character but based on someone real. In 1925, she infiltrated the wealthy, rarified world of author Agatha Christie and her husband, Archie. A world of London townhomes, country houses, shooting parties, and tennis matches. Nan O'Dea became Archie's mistress, luring him away from his devoted wife. In every way, she became a part of their world--first, both Christies. Then, just Archie. <br /></span><span class="s3" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;">The question is, why?<br /></span><span class="s3" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;">And what did it have to do with the mysterious eleven days that Agatha Christie went missing?<br /></span><span class="s3" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;">The answer takes you back time, to Ireland, to a young girl in love, to a time before The Great War. To a star-crossed couple who were destined to be together--until war and pandemic and shameful secrets tore them apart. <br /></span><span class="s3" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;">What makes a woman desperate enough to destroy another woman's marriage? <br /></span><span class="s3" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;">What makes someone vengeful enough to hatch a plot years in the making?<br /></span><span class="s3" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;">What drives someone to murder?<br /></span><span class="s3" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;">These questions and more are explored in Nina de Gramont's brilliant, unforgettable, lush, and powerful novel.</span><br /><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleEmphasizedItalicBody; font-size: 18.36px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleEmphasizedItalicBody; font-size: 18.36px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">My Review:</span><br /><span class="s3" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;">This is told from the perspective of Archie Christie’s mistress Nan O’Dea. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>It makes for an interesting storyline. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Nan is an unapologetic home wrecker, and you want to hate her. Yet I don’t, I wouldn’t say I like her, but I don’t hate her either. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I thought this book was about a disappearance, or even about a love triangle. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>And on the surface it is, but when you look deeper, it is actually shinning a light on women’s reproductive rights. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>The true story is telling of the loss inflicted on women in the early 20th Century, when their bodies were not their own. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>And how when there was an unexpected and socially unacceptable pregnancy, what a woman faced and the unexpected ways it could change her life. </span><br /><br /><span class="s4" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleItalicBody; font-size: 18.36px; font-style: italic;">*I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.*</span></div><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23.8px;"><span class="s3" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;"></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23.8px;"><span class="s4" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleItalicBody; font-size: 18.36px; font-style: italic;"></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23.8px;"><span class="s4" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleItalicBody; font-size: 18.36px; font-style: italic;"></span></p>Serindehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04998792019129349517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5401992581904428627.post-19858417969047039742022-01-31T05:00:00.004-08:002022-01-31T05:00:00.180-08:00The Night Burns Bright by Ross Barkan (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleEmphasizedItalicBody; font-size: 18.36px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2o0NvZbWNlhrh3i4xUsm4jRgFaXrGH8xfnJUaax7emOSwVKRGBHNeMqDfO5DHVqi1Ez4ZaUMgf3yUTghFaHrMqltV7N-wkxGkKBuvkof9_m0gk3tGECIW9VcPK_0eL9401-XGIJmE5Ed0UDDj_MvkU4BD4ak334bBxTpIUdL06f8OgNw6u5wIYxkq=s275" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="183" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2o0NvZbWNlhrh3i4xUsm4jRgFaXrGH8xfnJUaax7emOSwVKRGBHNeMqDfO5DHVqi1Ez4ZaUMgf3yUTghFaHrMqltV7N-wkxGkKBuvkof9_m0gk3tGECIW9VcPK_0eL9401-XGIJmE5Ed0UDDj_MvkU4BD4ak334bBxTpIUdL06f8OgNw6u5wIYxkq" width="183" /></a></div>Goodreads book description:<br /></span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;">In this coming-of-age thriller, a twelve-year-old boy’s spark of courage to question the harmonious wooded commune he calls home may burn down more than just his own illusions.<br /></span><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;">Lucien has everything he needs: a loving mama, a library full of books, and House of Earth, a private school nestled safely in the woods of upstate New York. It’s where Lucien is taught the importance of living in harmony with nature and building a peaceful and sustainable future. But when his youthful curiosity draws him into town and to Gabrielle, a public-school student living a life wholly different from his own, Lucien’s inquisitiveness about life beyond the commune and questions regarding the events of 9/11 threaten to unbalance everything he thought he knew.<br /></span><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;">Slowly, things begin to change at House of Earth. The outside world is off limits. Security measures tighten. New rules are put in place, and anyone who violates them is asked to leave and never spoken of again.<br /></span><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;">As forbidden questions pile up, Lucien’s willingness to obey weakens. Continuing to meet Gabrielle in secret only reinforces his gnawing fear that something about his world is terribly wrong. Unable to remain silent any longer, Lucien will soon discover that looking for answers at House of Earth may be the most dangerous rule he can break. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleEmphasizedItalicBody; font-size: 18.36px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">My Review:</span><br /><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;">This is a very different perspective, the experience of a cult from a young child’s point of view. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Lucien’s Mom joined the House of Earth when he was 6. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Lucien is now 12 and doesn’t know any other way of life. This reminds me of Room, where we get a tragic story from a child’s eye. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>The early writing is that of a naive child, as Lucien ages and becomes aware of the situation the narrative becomes more <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>cohesive. </span><br /></div><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23.8px; text-align: left;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;"></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23.8px; text-align: left;"><span class="s3" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleItalicBody; font-size: 18.36px; font-style: italic;"></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="s3" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleItalicBody; font-size: 18.36px; font-style: italic;">*I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.*</span></p>Serindehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04998792019129349517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5401992581904428627.post-8688727607686639332022-01-30T05:00:00.001-08:002022-01-30T05:00:00.174-08:00The Perfect Home by Kevin Lynch (⭐️ )<p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleEmphasizedBody; font-size: 18.36px; font-weight: bold;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmOHGViMepQaQxwESmRTCziLnr44VJd3YDkteRLhZQ373OKoqUzLqTfsqiNPaJm50gVal6BKtyT4g2Htjxj_UxWo3yrSh6-u2iAwM9AnAowaaW3STpfg58Gojgx9cQObX2zVcDQnCbQ4wops5RQoQN9K1a5O7wkvQZUR8JiytjfgrODeqfUONycTDY=s394" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="254" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmOHGViMepQaQxwESmRTCziLnr44VJd3YDkteRLhZQ373OKoqUzLqTfsqiNPaJm50gVal6BKtyT4g2Htjxj_UxWo3yrSh6-u2iAwM9AnAowaaW3STpfg58Gojgx9cQObX2zVcDQnCbQ4wops5RQoQN9K1a5O7wkvQZUR8JiytjfgrODeqfUONycTDY=s320" width="206" /></a></div>Goodreads book description:<p></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;">It’s a beautiful place to live. Or die.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;">June is very happy in her home. It’s where she raised her two kids – now college age – and every room is filled with memories, some beautiful, some painful. She loves the garden she has worked so hard to create. She likes her neighbours in this pleasant, leafy suburb.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;">But lately, something has changed.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;">There’s the new guy across the street. He seems rough, possibly criminal. And he’s been taking a definite interest in June’s rebellious daughter, Cathy.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;">And there’s June’s son, Sam. He’s always been open and friendly but recently he’s been sullen and secretive.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;">Even more disturbing, June’s cheating ex-husband suddenly seems to be everywhere. It’s almost as if he’s stalking her.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;">Then, when someone she knows is murdered, June begins to understand that all these different things are connected. And as she investigates further, she realises that she herself is in terrible danger.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;">Because someone out there wants June gone. Permanently. (less)</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23.8px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleEmphasizedBody; font-size: 18.36px; font-weight: bold;">My Review:</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;">I did not enjoy this book. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>The characters were flat, and drove me crazy. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I know they made stupid decisions to drive “the story” forward, but it didn’t endear them to me. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>At times I wanted to scream over the obtuseness of the characters. I felt it was a slow read, and I just couldn’t connect. I didn’t feel that it was twisting or innovative, it felt very run of the mill. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Not cute enough to be a cozy, and not hard enough to be called a thriller. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>And to say I hated the ending is an understatement, the resolution with Cathy and Steve made me angrier than all the other poor decisions combined. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I’m not saying I wouldn’t give this author another chance, the writing style and voice were fine. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>It was the story content I couldn’t connect to.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23.8px;"><span class="s3" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleItalicBody; font-size: 18.36px; font-style: italic;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s3" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleItalicBody; font-size: 18.36px; font-style: italic;">*I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.*</span></p>Serindehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04998792019129349517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5401992581904428627.post-39924113388724405602022-01-23T15:12:00.002-08:002022-01-23T15:12:21.375-08:00The Arctic Fury by Greer Macallister (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)<div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleEmphasizedBody; font-size: 18.36px; font-weight: bold;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgn6ulfWGcKvmDAn-Etzixz3SC_Lz-x09-k-0EIYkby3p228lRmCumqc1EuP3vapHn9aWaW81rx_FKnkI4WY-rAqAjNG7BMl8Gj2162bAWBST7p-wfMwZW7hRCVyCxOw2XXdSUTWDyar7tdJOkg7WjXDlWfOUSU7XQ_NtCc6_Gpw7VD05i8QpW7y_2e=s275" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="183" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgn6ulfWGcKvmDAn-Etzixz3SC_Lz-x09-k-0EIYkby3p228lRmCumqc1EuP3vapHn9aWaW81rx_FKnkI4WY-rAqAjNG7BMl8Gj2162bAWBST7p-wfMwZW7hRCVyCxOw2XXdSUTWDyar7tdJOkg7WjXDlWfOUSU7XQ_NtCc6_Gpw7VD05i8QpW7y_2e" width="183" /></a></div>Goodreads book description:<br /></span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">A dozen women join a secret 1850s Arctic expedition—and a sensational murder trial unfolds when some of them don't come back.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">Eccentric Lady Jane Franklin makes an outlandish offer to adventurer Virginia Reeve: take a dozen women, trek into the Arctic, and find her husband's lost expedition. Four parties have failed to find him, and Lady Franklin wants a radical new approach: put the women in charge.</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">A year later, Virginia stands trial for murder. Survivors of the expedition willing to publicly support her sit in the front row. There are only five. What happened out there on the ice?</span><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;">Set against the unforgiving backgdrop of one of the world's most inhospitable locations, USA Today bestsellng author Greer Macallister uses the true story of Lady Jane Franklin's tireless attempts to find her husband's lost expedition as a jumping-off point to spin a tale of bravely, intrigue, perseverance and hope.</span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleEmphasizedBody; font-size: 18.36px; font-weight: bold;">My Review:</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleEmphasizedBody; font-size: 18.36px; font-weight: bold;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(24, 24, 24); color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: normal;">This was very dramatic and exciting. I enjoyed the dual views of the expedition and the trial. It kept me on the edge of my seat. I got this as part of <a href="https://booked-traveler-box.cratejoy.com/" target="_blank">The Booked Traveler</a> box and I enjoyed the gifts. The story really kept me engaged and I had hated putting it down to sleep.</span></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"></div></div>Serindehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04998792019129349517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5401992581904428627.post-86841670270683467452022-01-11T05:30:00.014-08:002022-01-23T15:03:14.707-08:00Bad Luck Bridesmaid by Alison Rose Greenberg (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)<p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleEmphasizedItalicBody; font-size: 17px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxF0sDZT3tRPxnOjYM9g8Iqg5I63MryA77KpNmpRSMz5bhRe_yqXmWn6pi0QDukfdnpKOtq3kBgV3tDfgmB8Y6WWuw8bhE5zu93W6YuSt9L8IfY-pCC12wYxShuJYQURo4uX1LP51iZFBeRSrcp2-rNPZJEI-CjOV51d5NjEcbADUWTv7qisMtiW8a=s1720" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1720" data-original-width="1125" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxF0sDZT3tRPxnOjYM9g8Iqg5I63MryA77KpNmpRSMz5bhRe_yqXmWn6pi0QDukfdnpKOtq3kBgV3tDfgmB8Y6WWuw8bhE5zu93W6YuSt9L8IfY-pCC12wYxShuJYQURo4uX1LP51iZFBeRSrcp2-rNPZJEI-CjOV51d5NjEcbADUWTv7qisMtiW8a=s320" width="209" /></a></p></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleEmphasizedItalicBody; font-size: 17px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Goodreads book description:<br /></span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">It’s official: Zoey Marks is the cursed bridesmaid that no engagement can survive. Ten years, three empire waist dresses, and ZERO brides have walked down the aisle.<br /></span><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">After strike three, Zoey is left wondering if her own ambivalence towards marriage has rubbed off on those she loves. And when her building distrust of matrimony culminates in turning down a proposal from her perfect All-American boyfriend, Rylan Harper III, she and Rylan are both left heartbroken, leaving Zoey to wonder: what is it exactly about tying the knot that makes her want to run in the opposite direction?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Enter Hannah Green: Zoey’s best friend, who announces that she’s marrying a guy she just met (cue eye roll). At a castle. In gorgeous, romantic Ireland, where Rylan will be in attendance, and Zoey will be a bridesmaid. It’ll be fine.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Okay, the woman definition of fine (NOT FINE).</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Determined to turn her luck around, Zoey accepts her role and vows to get Hannah down the aisle—all the while praying her best friend’s wedded bliss will allow her to embrace marriage and get Rylan back.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">But as the weekend goes on, Zoey is plagued with more questions than answers. Can you be a free spirit, yet still want a certain future? Can you have love and be loved on your terms? And how DO you wrangle a bossy falcon into doing your bidding?</span></div><p></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleEmphasizedItalicBody; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">My Review:</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">I feel like this book was a bit of a conundrum for me. I liked it and I needed to know what happened, but I don’t feel like it fit as a rid a traditional romance, It wasn’t a romcom, but it wasn’t literary fiction either. I had the traipsing of a traditional romance, but the ending threw me. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>This was a very character driven book, but some of the characters felt a little light…I wanted Graham and Ezra to have a little more depth. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Once Zoey got to Ireland I could not put it down!</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">I love when books have </span><a href="https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fopen.spotify.com%2Fplaylist%2F1dHyd4XBHH3IabJJxIF1DY%3Fsi%3Dd835b96fc4804a43%26nd%3D1&data=04%7C01%7C%7C03cd0ce94253497e7da008d9d50ae9a8%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637775065119529404%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=1s6NNTF6Yf07MZrn%2B95WoZZ87v2pKE9qEy%2BfkH47RoA%3D&reserved=0" originalsrc="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1dHyd4XBHH3IabJJxIF1DY?si=d835b96fc4804a43&nd=1" shash="nWXyVvqGXFLUExW0bigeU0iTHCU5l/1GZ07U8UIyXcJVYFFytOjRtMKSPMABQhqzzXdj7CEgsB7cKHjG5wQawSxOZjh9iIL1ao+8sDijPBZRTAPGcf02oSyPw7n8dUb3Cpvbs+tsw5v6H3cKIoie/TRLJZf5/cJ1dhh47vaWMMs=" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; color: #0086f0; font-family: -apple-system, HelveticaNeue; font-size: 16px;" target="_blank">Spotify</a> <span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">lists!</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><span class="s3" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleItalicBody; font-style: italic;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s3" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleItalicBody; font-style: italic;">*I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review</span></p>Serindehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04998792019129349517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5401992581904428627.post-37047011067289811302022-01-11T05:00:00.002-08:002022-01-23T15:02:52.205-08:00Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves by Meg Long (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)<p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleEmphasizedItalicBody; font-size: 18.36px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhX6ZmofaAMAOSwmyYbl_yNyipUstPa5kndC6Sbd7QVEy3acIdPwjRtyOwm-YFLw7BhNFhdunTBSIQDu8FgXpsknJV5L46zngbcKTNHG0fKnWH170nr3R6IHlmDe2xRJzheJZndEaBlSdLlKQK2ykNhrHAF9u44ObOwUkwos4uhOz5rATmNE4cRcFoU=s225" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhX6ZmofaAMAOSwmyYbl_yNyipUstPa5kndC6Sbd7QVEy3acIdPwjRtyOwm-YFLw7BhNFhdunTBSIQDu8FgXpsknJV5L46zngbcKTNHG0fKnWH170nr3R6IHlmDe2xRJzheJZndEaBlSdLlKQK2ykNhrHAF9u44ObOwUkwos4uhOz5rATmNE4cRcFoU" width="225" /></a></div>Goodreads book description:<p></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;">After angering a local gangster, seventeen-year-old Sena Korhosen must flee with her prize fighting wolf, Iska, in tow. A team of scientists offer to pay her way off her frozen planet on one condition: she gets them to the finish line of the planet’s infamous sled race. Though Sena always swore she’d never race after it claimed both her mothers’ lives, it’s now her only option. </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;">But the tundra is a treacherous place, and as the race unfolds and their lives are threatened at every turn, Sena starts to question her own abilities. She must discover whether she's strong enough to survive the wild – whether she and Iska together are strong enough to get them all out alive.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s3" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleItalicBody; font-size: 18.36px; font-style: italic;">A captivating debut about survival, found family, and the bond between a girl and a wolf that delivers a fresh twist on classic survival stories and frontier myths.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23.8px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleEmphasizedItalicBody; font-size: 18.36px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">My Review:</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;">So first of all, I somehow missed that this was set on another planet. I thought it was in Russia or maybe Alaska, but nope this is sci-fi. That does not take away from this for me, but it made for some. My advice is to pretend that it’s in Russia or Alaska and read it anyways. I feel so lucky that the second book of the year was also a five star read. Admittedly it did start a little slow, but once the story got rolling it really went. I loved it, I loved the characters of Sena and Iska, and all the side characters too. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I really hope this becomes a series!</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;">This is full of strong character development along with a strong action packed storyline. I’m not gonna lie I ugly cried at the end. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Twice in a row.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23.8px;"><span class="s3" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleItalicBody; font-size: 18.36px; font-style: italic;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s3" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleItalicBody; font-size: 18.36px; font-style: italic;">*I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.*</span></p>Serindehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04998792019129349517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5401992581904428627.post-56106500800500816922022-01-03T05:00:00.002-08:002022-01-23T15:02:24.549-08:00At the End of Everything By Marieke Nijkamp (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUstsEuvBRjLbstE10GseyS50Lg9mtb9m3EH8ckgXc78y2ZnhOmFnO2P8H31P6ynyNiL5BF4dJotwEmWvdmUU0ftCbKESaNuVDvf52iA2aOZIrQ28OXQ1OZctvVjh0HNpUpk-kSlErt9QVVYgfut6CkoX8VRxKsIm7KjhMnEDY7TP65JaKT5vCjtF9=s2475" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2475" data-original-width="1650" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUstsEuvBRjLbstE10GseyS50Lg9mtb9m3EH8ckgXc78y2ZnhOmFnO2P8H31P6ynyNiL5BF4dJotwEmWvdmUU0ftCbKESaNuVDvf52iA2aOZIrQ28OXQ1OZctvVjh0HNpUpk-kSlErt9QVVYgfut6CkoX8VRxKsIm7KjhMnEDY7TP65JaKT5vCjtF9=s320" width="213" /></a></div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleEmphasizedItalicBody; font-size: 18.36px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Goodreads book description:</span><p></p><p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;">The Hope Juvenile Treatment Center is ironically named. No one has hope for the delinquent teenagers who have been exiled there; the world barely acknowledges that they exist.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;">Then the guards at Hope start acting strange. And one day…they don’t show up. But when the teens band together to make a break from the facility, they encounter soldiers outside the gates. There’s a rapidly spreading infectious disease outside, and no one can leave their houses or travel without a permit. Which means that they’re stuck at Hope. And this time, no one is watching out for them at all.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;">As supplies quickly dwindle and a deadly plague tears through their ranks, the group has to decide whom among them they can trust and figure out how they can survive in a world that has never wanted them in the first place.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23.8px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleEmphasizedItalicBody; font-size: 18.36px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">My Review:</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;">I was really looking forward to this book, I loved Nijkamp’s book </span><span class="s3" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px; text-decoration: underline;">This is Where it Ends</span><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;">, and couldn’t wait to read this one. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>It <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>is told from multiple perspectives: Logan a non-verbal female, whose verbal twin Leah is also in the facility, Grace a long-time female patient, and Emerson a non-binary new arrival. We follow these three though the discovery of the plague and the months that follow as they work to survive.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23.8px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 18.36px;">This book started my year off with a bang, and some tears. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>This book gave me so many feels. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>It was a gut wrenching read, but in the best way. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>The characters made my heart ache, I wanted so much to hug the pain away. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>As reader, you can’t help but too root for them. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>You know that they won’t all survive, but you want them to beat the odds, and your heart breaks when they don’t. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Just like your heart sings when they do.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 23.8px;"><span class="s4" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleItalicBody; font-size: 18.36px; font-style: italic;"></span><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s4" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleItalicBody; font-size: 18.36px; font-style: italic;">*I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.*</span></p>Serindehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04998792019129349517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5401992581904428627.post-70131548350366421612021-06-28T15:32:00.001-07:002021-06-28T15:32:15.824-07:002021<p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px;">Where has this year gone?</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px;"> </span> <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px;">I started a January wrap up and didn’t get a chance to finish it.</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px;"> </span> <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px;">I don’t know the route I want this blog to take…I barely have time to put my reviews on GoodReads, and I feel like they are not in depth at all.</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px;"> </span> <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px;">So far this year I have read 47 books…that would be a ridiculous summary post no-one would want to read.</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px;"> </span> <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px;">I have a started helping a friend get her book box off the ground by a) purchasing a subscription and b) posting videos of said subscription unwrapping.</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px;"> </span> <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px;">But that is on Instagram and YouTube, I don’t feel the need to post here as well, maybe I will do a review?</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px;"> </span> <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px;">So that leaves me as to where to go with this blog…I’m not in the book world enough to be talking about news.</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px;"> </span> <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px;">But I don’t know reviews are the way this works anymore either…this may take some thought to figure out.</span></p>Serindehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04998792019129349517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5401992581904428627.post-91215270741878216742021-01-04T20:25:00.002-08:002021-01-04T20:25:32.669-08:00December 2020 Wrap Up<p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.36px;"><u></u></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.36px;"><u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeDBEnQI9KXtaPXxnZ7zyVXwW7H8kDFQN8hh6Sz1X89xJTGsOjV90ICJ8tSKfSefsNVTIQ6qdkiF8hrnprhW8Wk0DKgMy_kHl2aofp_L6jQyvbuo5yiVfwAja3gZqI3eiioLnWamPv6Ws/s382/220267EF-D0C7-4089-A0D2-68CAAEBB6202.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="382" data-original-width="254" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeDBEnQI9KXtaPXxnZ7zyVXwW7H8kDFQN8hh6Sz1X89xJTGsOjV90ICJ8tSKfSefsNVTIQ6qdkiF8hrnprhW8Wk0DKgMy_kHl2aofp_L6jQyvbuo5yiVfwAja3gZqI3eiioLnWamPv6Ws/w133-h200/220267EF-D0C7-4089-A0D2-68CAAEBB6202.jpeg" width="133" /></a></u></span></div><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.36px;"><u>Three Ordinary Girls<span style="font-size: 18.36px;"> by Tim Brady (read 11/23 to 12/1) ⭐️⭐️</span></u></span><div><i style="font-size: 18.36px;">*I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.</i><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This is aWWII true story. Hannie Schaft, Truus Oversteegen, and Freddie Oversteegen are three sisters in occupied Netherlands, in the city of Haarlem. They joined the underground resistance and became a terrifying force de resistance. They sheltered Jews, political dissidents, and fellow Dutch Resistors. They took direct actions like sabotaging bridges and railways. They transported weapons and attacked military facilities. They were assassins and seasoned spies. Tim Brady did his homework when researching these women and bringing their heroics to the worlds attention.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This book started out strong, but around 40% it started to drag. It became more a reciting of facts than a story. I felt like Hannie, Truus and Freddie were ignored. I wanted more details of them. It cam back around at the end but, it was too late I had lost interest.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><u></u></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqAZ0WJdczL0xKCzibAWlDcrhqiKuICxWMuIPMmMmaJLKQvMGsdtRpxhBWJ-5mTw7xNpE7bFEBVkX4BrFpomhC3LLBEbZF6qvfY8SBtrxNnD025KhS19NeUTOWiTTbJzzHiUl7g45pgSo/s346/FA3B7AA2-1854-42EE-85C2-7FC31227EEE6.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="230" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqAZ0WJdczL0xKCzibAWlDcrhqiKuICxWMuIPMmMmaJLKQvMGsdtRpxhBWJ-5mTw7xNpE7bFEBVkX4BrFpomhC3LLBEbZF6qvfY8SBtrxNnD025KhS19NeUTOWiTTbJzzHiUl7g45pgSo/w133-h200/FA3B7AA2-1854-42EE-85C2-7FC31227EEE6.jpeg" width="133" /></a></u></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><u>The Peculiar Fate of Holly Banks</u> by Julie Valerie (read 12/1 to 12/5) ⭐️⭐️⭐️</span><p></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><i style="font-size: 18.36px;">*I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.</i></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 18.36px;">This is the second book in the Village of Primm series. I read the first book last December as a OUABC selection. This book takes place just a week or so after the end of the first book. Once again Holly Banks finds herself in the middle of a mystery. Her chocolate lab Struggle digs up a lost artifact and the chaos ensues. </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I gave this book a 3star because it still was a meh storyline to me, a little better than the first but not that engaging to me. I think I need to look at this series almost like a cozy, but just without murder. I liked that the characters stayed true to the writing from the first book, as it took place so soon after the first book that felt really important to me. The sarcasm was toned down a little bit, which I admit I was a little sad about. But Valerie still didn’t take her created world seriously which did make it fun. I don’t love these books, but I will still probably continue with the series which is a solid series. </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><u></u></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieVm1bsK9B2wZG4x4YF2xTdEPEbsiz7X-VEDZhVK09PpB40VnoBiv4jPBrbnomDr7vF5xTCNfIktpR4E82cEIJCNGWJyAWaL0pGx0JZ_NZ1d1p-XNYeGAnTVt3l0fOlDMw4VkgVvNPpYw/s143/BFF209E0-DFBC-4348-A1F9-CD71F295A8C5.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="143" data-original-width="87" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieVm1bsK9B2wZG4x4YF2xTdEPEbsiz7X-VEDZhVK09PpB40VnoBiv4jPBrbnomDr7vF5xTCNfIktpR4E82cEIJCNGWJyAWaL0pGx0JZ_NZ1d1p-XNYeGAnTVt3l0fOlDMw4VkgVvNPpYw/w122-h200/BFF209E0-DFBC-4348-A1F9-CD71F295A8C5.jpeg" width="122" /></a></u></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><u>Baby Teeth</u> by Zoje Stage (read 12/9 to 12/13) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️</span><p></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I picked this book up because <u>Ants Among Elephants</u> was such a heavy read. This had been an impulse grocery store aisle buy. It sounded great a thriller about a daughter trying to kill her mom, sort of Gillian Flynn style was my impression when I read the back.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I really liked the book, the premise and story line was great. I loved the dynamic between the Mom Suzette and the daughter Hannah. I loved how devious Hannah was, yet still had an air of innocence. Alex seemed like a clueless shmuck, which fed right into Hannah’s plans. What I don’t like was some of Suzette’s vulgarity around sex with Alex, and some of the sex scenes. I’m not opposed to sex in a novel, it is part of life, but I felt like the scenes were put in more for shock factor than to further the storyline. They seemed abrupt and poorly placed, and when they appeared they pulled me out of the story, which broke the magic for me. But other than that it was really well written and a page turner for sure.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><u></u></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_tq3dJtgtIMD_JcApulKLZuEOyCHwKwbh2C1dhi6_X_xdh5s2pNfvRd8mEgwturWFHJj2fslgYO-XXAflHL2G9si5aG33tCnc7LCDgNA0aFDd2BAkmFl7ybl-vORDlsGhJRvO5HTCqAM/s475/A3188394-4D09-4797-9B05-237717765614.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_tq3dJtgtIMD_JcApulKLZuEOyCHwKwbh2C1dhi6_X_xdh5s2pNfvRd8mEgwturWFHJj2fslgYO-XXAflHL2G9si5aG33tCnc7LCDgNA0aFDd2BAkmFl7ybl-vORDlsGhJRvO5HTCqAM/w134-h200/A3188394-4D09-4797-9B05-237717765614.jpeg" width="134" /></a></u></div><u>Ants Among Elephants: An Untouchable Family and the </u><u>Making of Modern India</u> by Sujatha Gilda (read 12/5 to 12/15)⭐️<p></p><p style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.3); -webkit-text-size-adjust: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This was the December selection for the <a href="https://www.booknwineclub.com/" target="_blank">Book & Wine Club</a>. They are a newsletter that pairs a book and wine selection every month for local groups to meet. It this month they decided to do a Zoom meeting, so my best friend and I joined.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This book was not as advertised, the blurb on Amazon’s and good reads said it was the history of a family as they rose above their caste to become educated, leaders and an improved life. Eventually Gilda moves from India to America and writes her family’s history. It was marketed as a rare family history from the lowest of the castes in India, and their move triumph and success. It was also supposed to be about the bonds of family. Wow that sounds enlightening and amazing right? Yeah I would love to read that book! Sadly instead I read this one. It wasn’t about family and triumph, it was recounting the deeds of the the oldest brother Satyam as he became a political activist who founded the People’s War Group, which sounded like a communist terrorist group to me</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Which per my internet research is exactly what it is! I’m sure I’m now on some monitoring list for even looking it up. There was almost no discussion of the author’s mother, besides when she was being mistreated first by her Father and Brothers, then by her husband. It definitely wasn’t about woman’s rights or gaining empowerment in India. This book was horrible and the description was do misleading I felt betrayed for it being selected.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><u></u></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwVhWZM3FsOm9cRmXFS9LD8aTeyhgBBMib8H9hJ0MOyr58Gaofz9A5fiwYxhQHAzAQZTTGoWcJxkpjQ-Id7krqzBjx-F0tQLPNMdqWwOUmH9ahyphenhyphenCe5unaiRlVhq7LTIaWWZTuCu0rLuLU/s450/B32DBD16-4E0A-4500-AEB4-9614E9521E65.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="298" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwVhWZM3FsOm9cRmXFS9LD8aTeyhgBBMib8H9hJ0MOyr58Gaofz9A5fiwYxhQHAzAQZTTGoWcJxkpjQ-Id7krqzBjx-F0tQLPNMdqWwOUmH9ahyphenhyphenCe5unaiRlVhq7LTIaWWZTuCu0rLuLU/w133-h200/B32DBD16-4E0A-4500-AEB4-9614E9521E65.jpeg" width="133" /></a></u></div><u>The Way Back</u><span> by Gavriel Savit (read 12/15 to 12/22) ⭐️⭐️⭐️</span><p></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-style: italic;">*I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.*</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1">The book takes place in the 1820’s or so. It follows two kids, the book description said they were teens, although I thought they were more like 12. Y</span>ehuda Lieb, son of poor single mother and Bluma granddaughter of Tupik’s midwife, a small Jewish Villaine somewhere in Eastern Europe. They both encounter death one day, and then consequence is a journey through the Far Country, a Jewish land of spirits and demons. Where they decide to make war on Death himself.</p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">I’m not going to lie this one left me floundering about. I was not aware of the characters at all. I suspect they are well known Jewish folk lore characters, but I had no idea who they were. Still I was able to follow the story and enjoy it. I think if I had known who they were some stuff would have made more sense. And the description is right, it did remind me of Neil Gaimen’s American Gods. I enjoyed the read, it was a solid story and I would read more from this author. </p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><u></u></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiANySiy8JaqU6tRjQ1_ff3k76VxkPZrc6TPnX0QX8Yo0nTqv47nN-3e-Z00iNGDyUnGZ02SNw-NZxNs0is3jRh1Q7N9K2iMH8dZDMdm1Z4mEY1P6ixNGl6imR-nk5a8X5YbvZmN5CIxEc/s475/F0C68A25-E020-49C5-987C-60BDBA180C67.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="299" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiANySiy8JaqU6tRjQ1_ff3k76VxkPZrc6TPnX0QX8Yo0nTqv47nN-3e-Z00iNGDyUnGZ02SNw-NZxNs0is3jRh1Q7N9K2iMH8dZDMdm1Z4mEY1P6ixNGl6imR-nk5a8X5YbvZmN5CIxEc/w126-h200/F0C68A25-E020-49C5-987C-60BDBA180C67.jpeg" width="126" /></a></u></div><u>Divided in Death</u> by JD Robb (AKA Nora Roberts) (read 12/22 to 12/26) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️<p></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">This is book 18 in the In Death Series, I started reading this series in 2015. One of Eve’s husband’s employees of fond at the scene of her husband and his lover, at fist glance it looks like an open and shut case. But things don’t add up Eve and the deeper she digs, the deeper the conspiracy goes.</p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">This was another great one in the series, admittedly the plot isn’t new or unique. But that isn’t why I love these books, I love these books because of the characters. Eve, Roarke, Peabody, McNab, and Feeny are all old friends. They grow as characters and people, and yet they stay in their character traits enough to give me comfort. </p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><u></u></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxdEQhOx3EcO1_Jqxz4UIvn0trydkiSHVc3eQhgRkyppVaSbvzv2NNpsGDsmzV6HYOUMvHvw6VqfR3l1_mlVH2pdEL3dR9BIhcxC_8C503njYXocD9gBKA1_BNSbFMLnmeEsqWVdcY9Rw/s424/CDE01416-5C0D-4453-A730-20D89F7297DD.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="424" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxdEQhOx3EcO1_Jqxz4UIvn0trydkiSHVc3eQhgRkyppVaSbvzv2NNpsGDsmzV6HYOUMvHvw6VqfR3l1_mlVH2pdEL3dR9BIhcxC_8C503njYXocD9gBKA1_BNSbFMLnmeEsqWVdcY9Rw/w150-h200/CDE01416-5C0D-4453-A730-20D89F7297DD.jpeg" width="150" /></a></u></div><u>Visions in Death</u> by JD Robb (AKA Nora Robert’s) (read 12/27 to 12/29/20<p></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">I’m obviously feeling some comfort reads, and Eve Dallas does it for me.</p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">I’m surprised that after all this time Robb was able to surprise me. There was a twist at the end that was completely unexpected for me. I enjoyed the writing and the way we get to see and know some side characters more intently. I love the lightheartedness of this series though too, despite all the murder there is laughter. I even read some bits to my husband, much to his confusion.</p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p></div>Serindehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04998792019129349517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5401992581904428627.post-4396786290244334612020-12-01T16:30:00.001-08:002020-12-01T16:30:03.674-08:00November 2020 Wrap up<p><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.36px;">So here it is the first of the wrap ups, I know that I have done some summary reviews in the past, and well they seemed to be happening more and more, so let’s go with that format. Because this is the first, it will include the final book I read from October, but after this it will just be the books I read in the current month.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 21.9px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.36px;"></span><br /></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 9px 0px 8px;"><span class="s2" style="font-size: 18.36px;"><u></u></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="s2" style="font-size: 18.36px;"><u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEill_AYzEIyIB0025iuBaMDphPhitYCsXK5282YkxrducBYo9nCe_z0a6frUbFN5aGL95xDDBZ5OfZYBChNDzcy9ZWd2L4NIyfVQrmi05Upd5lZDwQ3Y0Ur6H9N9frXh8JF7Agv9bTGlh0/s400/CA77EA30-6CA2-45FE-ADA0-CF5BEE12B633.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="245" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEill_AYzEIyIB0025iuBaMDphPhitYCsXK5282YkxrducBYo9nCe_z0a6frUbFN5aGL95xDDBZ5OfZYBChNDzcy9ZWd2L4NIyfVQrmi05Upd5lZDwQ3Y0Ur6H9N9frXh8JF7Agv9bTGlh0/w123-h200/CA77EA30-6CA2-45FE-ADA0-CF5BEE12B633.jpeg" width="123" /></a></u></span></div><span class="s2" style="font-size: 18.36px;"><u>15 Minutes of Flame</u></span><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.36px;"> by Christina Brecher (read 10/25 to 10/27) </span><span class="s3" style="font-size: 18.36px;">⭐️⭐️⭐️</span><div><span style="font-size: 18.36px;">Stella sells candles in a small Nantucket Town. While Stella is helping to plan the </span><span style="font-size: 18.36px;">town's annual Halloween fundraiser. While planning she explores a deserted, boarded-up building on the property--once used as a candle-making shop-- and she discovers a terrible secret: the skeleton of a Quaker woman, wrapped in blood-soaked clothing and hidden deep within a stone hearth. And Stella gets involved with the investigation.</span><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.36px;">So I got this from OUABC sweet Halloween box. And it was an OK read, I didn’t love it I didn’t hate it. It was just a cozy mystery nothing too amazing. It was obvious that it was a later book in the series, I think it is #3. The characters were fine, the mystery was fine. It was a solid cozy.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 21.9px;"><br /><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.36px;"></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 9px 0px 8px;"><span class="s2" style="font-size: 18.36px;"><u></u></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="s2" style="font-size: 18.36px;"><u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBZqyOkOqKLI_RZ0FX9O-BFS09ScpjsfSKcizfIdZK7iqmVVz6L4CSSno8xEBDNETf3BMJuZ9vvmCHso_gu_BESzzU6sNBoWasy09VSJkV22iB8Go-rBP1xvC8nCkV8rE7_zaEvX9YtGw/s384/7B5F5B46-5F06-4798-BDC5-C8D10E6ACAE6_4_5005_c.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="254" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBZqyOkOqKLI_RZ0FX9O-BFS09ScpjsfSKcizfIdZK7iqmVVz6L4CSSno8xEBDNETf3BMJuZ9vvmCHso_gu_BESzzU6sNBoWasy09VSJkV22iB8Go-rBP1xvC8nCkV8rE7_zaEvX9YtGw/w133-h200/7B5F5B46-5F06-4798-BDC5-C8D10E6ACAE6_4_5005_c.jpeg" width="133" /></a></u></span></div><span class="s2" style="font-size: 18.36px;"><u>The Majesties</u></span><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.36px;"> by Tiffany Tsao (read 10/27 to 11/6) </span><span class="s3" style="font-size: 18.36px;">⭐️⭐️</span><p></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 9px 0px 8px;"><i style="font-size: 18.36px;">*I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.</i></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 9px 0px 8px;"><span style="font-size: 18.36px;">This is about two sisters from a Chinese-Indonesian family grapple with the past after one of them poisons their entire family. </span><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.36px;">Gwendolyn and Estella have always been as close as sisters can be. Growing up in a wealthy, eminent, and sometimes deceitful family, they’ve relied on each other for support and confidence. But now Gwendolyn is lying in a coma, the sole survivor of Estella’s poisoning of their whole clan. </span><span style="font-size: 18.36px;">As Gwendolyn struggles to regain consciousness, she desperately retraces her memories, trying to uncover the moment that led to this shocking and brutal act.</span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 9px 0px 8px;"><span style="font-size: 18.36px;">I’m not sure how I feel about this book. I wanted to like it, the writing was lovely, the story was engaging, and the ending I didn’t see coming. But I wasn’t motivated to read it and I wasn’t engaged in the story or the characters. I didn’t hate it, and I see the value in the story and the writing, but at the same time I didn’t like it. No particular reason, it just didn’t grab me.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 21.9px;"><br /><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.36px;"></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 9px 0px 8px;"><span class="s2" style="font-size: 18.36px;"><u></u></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="s2" style="font-size: 18.36px;"><u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPFyasEvJIc2byjg7I3VbqF0JsTLmPFTZC-_9-P10mEsKC-F2Q_GKSrL09b5C1REC38FhVJJmsIaHS9mzqVkZw7jCLEPX6K_P7To9Fo82HNKVznXrne9f88Utd2_CMQ1tuuTBHWbWFUOM/s475/BB071838-4491-4F49-A11D-7686EF5018A0.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPFyasEvJIc2byjg7I3VbqF0JsTLmPFTZC-_9-P10mEsKC-F2Q_GKSrL09b5C1REC38FhVJJmsIaHS9mzqVkZw7jCLEPX6K_P7To9Fo82HNKVznXrne9f88Utd2_CMQ1tuuTBHWbWFUOM/w132-h200/BB071838-4491-4F49-A11D-7686EF5018A0.jpeg" width="132" /></a></u></span></div><span class="s2" style="font-size: 18.36px;"><u>The Guest List</u></span><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.36px;"> by Lucy Foley (read 11/7 to 11/8) </span><span class="s3" style="font-size: 18.36px;">⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️</span><p></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 9px 0px 8px;"><span style="font-size: 18.36px;">On an island off the coast of Ireland, guests gather to celebrate a wedding. The groom is a handsome and charming, a rising television star. The bride is a smart and ambitious, a magazine publisher. But as the wedding starts things go astray and someone ends up dead.</span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 9px 0px 8px;"><span style="font-size: 18.36px;">So I’ve been hearing about this book for a while, I decided to check it out from the library. Wow was it good. I hated having to put it down to do things. I just wanted to read to find out first of all who died, and second who killed whoever died. Foley did a really good job on setting up the death and the murder itself. And it wrapped up well sort of.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 21.9px;"><br /></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 9px 0px 8px;"><span class="s2" style="font-size: 18.36px;"><u></u></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="s2" style="font-size: 18.36px;"><u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWPpweMcSaRhrgtll1VxUu-BNi2h6zuaDuZzY8udCMb76bWADr4Pok3pimZmzpcZI_uFrAn8uedSzP0kp8rmlPgHNP8VqE65mLP7HiK2biBWBYNl8pEbTOodzt_AShXb61KVL1wbIn53Q/s2048/AEFD279E-0A0F-492B-93DD-E8B8AD43D311.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1385" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWPpweMcSaRhrgtll1VxUu-BNi2h6zuaDuZzY8udCMb76bWADr4Pok3pimZmzpcZI_uFrAn8uedSzP0kp8rmlPgHNP8VqE65mLP7HiK2biBWBYNl8pEbTOodzt_AShXb61KVL1wbIn53Q/w135-h200/AEFD279E-0A0F-492B-93DD-E8B8AD43D311.jpeg" width="135" /></a></u></span></div><span class="s2" style="font-size: 18.36px;"><u>Throwaway Girls</u></span><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.36px;"><u> </u>by Andrea Contos (read 11/10 to 11/15) </span><span class="s3" style="font-size: 18.36px;">⭐️⭐️⭐️</span><p></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 9px 0px 8px;"><span style="font-size: 18.36px;"><i>*I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.</i></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 9px 0px 8px;"><span style="font-size: 18.36px;">Caroline Lawson hates her school and her life, she can’t wait to escape her rigid prep school and parents who don’t accept her as a lesbian. She has three months to graduation and that freedom she craves. Then her girlfriend leaves her to move to California, and her </span><span style="font-size: 18.36px;">best friend Madison disappears, Caroline feels compelled to get involved in the investigation. Caroline kept her own secrets, and it seems so did others in her life. The Caroline finds out about the other missing girls, the girls from the wrong side of the tracks who it appears police didn’t investigate. </span><span style="font-size: 18.36px;">Caroline is determined to find out what happened to them and why no one seems to notice. But as every new discovery leads Caroline closer to the connection between these girls and Madison, she faces an unsettling truth.</span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 9px 0px 8px;"><span style="font-size: 18.36px;">This was a good book, the end was surprising..I didn’t see the villain coming. It had some slow parts and I got stuck in the middle but it ended well.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 21.9px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.36px;"></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 9px 0px 8px;"><span class="s2" style="font-size: 18.36px;"><u></u></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="s2" style="font-size: 18.36px;"><u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQps_ce4OqDK4Jm3Cgu0yOPd63gT_7XOw0lqjUgNMzoUQY_pbh_GMXZoay8kI8QVT4xojfTaRKA4xkRNQ0UBt7rWW1jxFRc-1iWQAugv7O7sYkMvPjZM1OqbbmcckSRQUr4GCjGcUgQYg/s475/3CD8354D-6F2F-4784-9CE9-07DA0ECC8B20.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQps_ce4OqDK4Jm3Cgu0yOPd63gT_7XOw0lqjUgNMzoUQY_pbh_GMXZoay8kI8QVT4xojfTaRKA4xkRNQ0UBt7rWW1jxFRc-1iWQAugv7O7sYkMvPjZM1OqbbmcckSRQUr4GCjGcUgQYg/w133-h200/3CD8354D-6F2F-4784-9CE9-07DA0ECC8B20.jpeg" width="133" /></a></div></u></span></div><span class="s2" style="font-size: 18.36px;"><u>The Lending Library</u></span><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.36px;"> by Aliza Fogelson (read 11/15 to 11/17) </span><span class="s3" style="font-size: 18.36px;">⭐️⭐️</span></div><div><i style="font-size: 18.36px;">*I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.</i></div><div><span style="font-size: 18.36px;">When the Chatsworth library closes indefinitely, Dodie Fairisle turns her sunroom into her very own little lending library. At first it is a hobby, but then it takes on a life of its own and the townspeople come to rely on it and on Dodie. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: 18.36px;">I wanted to like this book, and I wanted to like the characters. But I didn’t. Maybe it was the wrong time for the story for me but the loss hit me harder then I would have thought, which meant I didn’t enjoy the read. I didn’t like Dodie and I don’t like Shep and I really didn’t like Sullivan‘s parents. This was just a miss for me.</span><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 21.9px;"><br /><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.36px;"></span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 21.9px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.36px;"></span></p><p class="p3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 9px 0px 8px;"><span class="s2" style="font-size: 18.36px;"><u></u></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="s2" style="font-size: 18.36px;"><u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKrxqqFYT6jMgDEOsOm5Y9cOS8fBBAZ8SBY-HWZnSC0kKSYunT6NaSPhX6Yl2tXoHvNz2XB-SveUi0bFrI5P7zn-OQ1bQp4oOpQsicbfg5nga1d_c-_v792NP1hqEVavwyGPIALc0E3w4/s500/8CE40209-0777-460F-93C8-40BA9FDE9F4B.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKrxqqFYT6jMgDEOsOm5Y9cOS8fBBAZ8SBY-HWZnSC0kKSYunT6NaSPhX6Yl2tXoHvNz2XB-SveUi0bFrI5P7zn-OQ1bQp4oOpQsicbfg5nga1d_c-_v792NP1hqEVavwyGPIALc0E3w4/w133-h200/8CE40209-0777-460F-93C8-40BA9FDE9F4B.jpeg" width="133" /></a></u></span></div><span class="s2" style="font-size: 18.36px;"><u>The Warning</u></span><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.36px;"> by James Patterson (read 11/18 to 11/21) </span><span class="s3" style="font-size: 18.36px;">⭐️⭐️⭐️</span><p></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 21.9px;"><span style="font-size: 18.36px;">In a small town called Mt. Hope, there has been an accident at the nuclear plant. But the military tells the townspeople it is cleaned up and they can come home now. And it does look beautiful, everything is fixed up and nicer than when they fled. Including Jordan, suddenly he is faster and stronger and he knows things, like how to fight. But something is wrong, no one has a cell phone signal, there is no tv or news, and the military has blocked off the two ways out of town. What are they hiding?</span><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.36px;"></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.36px;">I enjoyed this read, it wasn’t innovative or new. In fact it was fairly cookie cutter sci-Fi, stealing ideas from multiple other books. But because Patterson is a good writer it still meshed well and was a fun read. It felt comforting like a cozy mystery, but with a Sci-Fi twist! I wish I could say which Sci-Fi twist, it I don’t want to give it away.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s2" style="font-size: 18.36px; text-decoration: underline;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiZHpnLUQQS5L0lfR-_4Ztx1Q9L_NjmbWqcj697iFGD1wDhtCav4L7JAdvRo3a8f-1FNlGnUeYI-CZo3cQw69hM0gSvU5ywCMIKAYyMlHcA0X5YznT2v1DajX8e4nBp41Gpkm_n8IBdI4/s388/326E00A7-4223-4FD6-965A-5CA369D4C5F3.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="255" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiZHpnLUQQS5L0lfR-_4Ztx1Q9L_NjmbWqcj697iFGD1wDhtCav4L7JAdvRo3a8f-1FNlGnUeYI-CZo3cQw69hM0gSvU5ywCMIKAYyMlHcA0X5YznT2v1DajX8e4nBp41Gpkm_n8IBdI4/w131-h200/326E00A7-4223-4FD6-965A-5CA369D4C5F3.jpeg" width="131" /></a></div><u>The Echo Wife</u><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.36px;"> by Sarah Gailey (read 11/ 17 to 11/23) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️</span></div><div><i style="font-size: 18.36px;">*I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.</i><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.36px;">Imagine the pain of having your husband leave you, now imagine if he left you for a more docile version of you he had cloned. That is the pain Evelyn was feeling when one nigjt her clone Martine called needing Evelyn’s help. It seems Martine had murdered their husband Nathan. And it was quite the mess that needed fixing.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.36px;">I had a little trouble with this one at first, I mean I liked the premise, it just wasn’t resonating with me. Then I put it down for a day or two and flew through it. I would say at about the 40% mark it really started to pick up. I enjoyed the story arc and the secrets Nathan held. It was overall a good read.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.36px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.36px;"><u></u></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.36px;"><u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPg065lsuHLq40S0I-lMp2apOkEWuToqcbuxI0xijDeFdAPvl8XXSpRxi_a2-sXWQHPAkeSmgrCK_xdsFUQXjiMh8USuBvRL4MpC9uReCKJwPw3FRAr-HTsIdNdbt_D3z3_sDZnDZVf7E/s333/008DB0BF-6EDD-436B-8BF5-1B2667F396C1.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="220" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPg065lsuHLq40S0I-lMp2apOkEWuToqcbuxI0xijDeFdAPvl8XXSpRxi_a2-sXWQHPAkeSmgrCK_xdsFUQXjiMh8USuBvRL4MpC9uReCKJwPw3FRAr-HTsIdNdbt_D3z3_sDZnDZVf7E/w132-h200/008DB0BF-6EDD-436B-8BF5-1B2667F396C1.jpeg" width="132" /></a></u></span></div><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.36px;"><u>Ready Player One</u> by Ernest Cline (read 11/25 to 11/28) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️</span><p></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.36px;">This was a re-read for me. I received my order of <u>Ready Player Two</u> and I wanted to reimmerse myself in the universe. My review still hasn’t changed. I still love the book! Although this time as I read I was able to see subtle clues of the gates and puzzles laid early on. And as I read, I took the time and made a play list of all the songs listed in the book. Next re-read I’ll listen as I go.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.36px;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.36px;"><u><br /></u></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.36px;"><u><br /></u></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.36px;"><u><br /></u></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.36px;"><u></u></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.36px;"><u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsQ-86-SL-Q6aw9-IcA_YBldASedfultbbkQsRPQOI8cw0K2m6rkH7hID3l-rO1JEY5C3rj_clK8PhbCGbR7xg4x6GrFBgvWAaFWoWQYJWy-3FA3TS1bFHA0Yq3k0LhKg3js7SD5-b5Y4/s2048/2EC8E7B9-B134-4E98-AB4D-F1055CB1C04E.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1347" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsQ-86-SL-Q6aw9-IcA_YBldASedfultbbkQsRPQOI8cw0K2m6rkH7hID3l-rO1JEY5C3rj_clK8PhbCGbR7xg4x6GrFBgvWAaFWoWQYJWy-3FA3TS1bFHA0Yq3k0LhKg3js7SD5-b5Y4/w131-h200/2EC8E7B9-B134-4E98-AB4D-F1055CB1C04E.jpeg" width="131" /></a></u></span></div><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.36px;"><u>Ready Player Two</u> by Ernest Cline (read 11/28 to 11/30/20) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️</span><p></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: 18.36px;">So this is follow up to </span><u style="font-size: 18.360000610351562px;">Ready Player One,</u><span style="font-size: 18.360000610351562px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 18.360000610351562px;">I admit I ordered it without even knowing what the plot line was. This book takes place after Wade and the gang win Halliday’s Egg. Wade finds a technological advancement in Halliday’s Vault that will change the world the way OASIS originally did. But it comes with a new quest and riddle to solve, Wade once again has to step up to not only save the OASIS, but possibly all of humanity.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">OK so I really liked this book, and it’s always nerve wracking to red a sequel of a favorite. What if they ruin it? Thankfully Cline didn’t. I still like <u>Ready Player One</u> better, but this was a good follow up. Again some same old Sci-Fi tropes, which I don’t want to give away the plot of the villain...but it’s a classic and a well used plot line. That being said it is a classic, because when it is well done it is highly entertaining. There were far more music referenced I feel in this book than in the first book, but maybe I just caught them more easily. I enjoyed this read, I like Clines writing style and the nostalgia he gives me for the 80’s. I feel like it was a solid follow up.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 18.4px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p></div>Serindehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04998792019129349517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5401992581904428627.post-54732818649180688092020-11-19T11:42:00.004-08:002020-11-19T12:01:04.696-08:00Changes<p>So I have decided that I just can’t keep up with a book by book review anymore. So I gave decided that I am going to do a “Monthly Wrap Up” format. I don’t have. Any followers so, unless they speak this is the plan. I am also going to incorporate some planner stuff too. I’m in the process of working on the intro post about that. I will start the “Monthly Wrap Up” in November. I want to do some other bookish things, I’ve joined some online book clubs, maybe talk about them? I don’t know...if any of you loyalists out there have suggestions of what you want to see, comment on this post.</p><p>And I am also going to try and learn this hash tag thing. Wish me luck!</p>Serindehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04998792019129349517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5401992581904428627.post-8097456717414178332020-10-27T06:16:00.000-07:002020-10-27T06:16:54.782-07:00The Perfect Daughter by D.J. Palmer (Read 10/23 to 10/25) - 5 Star<div style="text-align: left;"><img src="https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1cVDIadPg5YwCX3eMG24jLCoynwKRysAa" alt="https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1cVDIadPg5YwCX3eMG24jLCoynwKRysAa" style="font-size: 12pt; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%; height: auto; width: auto;">I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.</div><div><br></div><div>Grace’s daughter Penny is in Edgewood, a facility for the criminally insane, awaiting her trial for murdering her Birth Mother Rachel. But Penny isn’t just Penny, she is Eve, Ruby and Chloe too. Who murdered Rachel, and is Penny really Disassociate Identity Disorder (DID) or as the head Edgewood doctor thinks Antisocial Personality Disorder, ie Penny is an expert liar.</div><div><br></div><div>This is the second DJ Palmer book I have read, and he has become a favorite author. I love the twists and turns of his stories. The characters are all so engaging, and make you want to read about them. This was unputdownable for me. I found myself wanting to know the next twist throughout my day, and I couldn’t wait to read more, even if it was only 5 mins while my coffee brewed.</div>Serindehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04998792019129349517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5401992581904428627.post-14069533763679384852020-10-19T21:29:00.002-07:002020-10-19T21:31:31.160-07:00Bait and Witch by Angela M. Sanders (Read 10/18 to 10/19) - 4 Star
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><font color="#000000" face="sans-serif" size="3"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.3); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: left;"></span></font></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="s1"><font color="#000000" face="sans-serif" size="3"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.3); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW7j1niSdApqCu9ftLdNOIPr2rkOM7O22Wpvyq47Tr0jW1rCuMubDXPx4QNVCEzeBc02RhrqrxJwe3hnhKLNDs7GT1D70C4ghVqsXhiEJHATlyDmP98_WGU5pkdLE8s875jrHxf7NUszY/s500/876D8996-66EE-4FFD-BE4B-3B0D35F36C00.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="306" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW7j1niSdApqCu9ftLdNOIPr2rkOM7O22Wpvyq47Tr0jW1rCuMubDXPx4QNVCEzeBc02RhrqrxJwe3hnhKLNDs7GT1D70C4ghVqsXhiEJHATlyDmP98_WGU5pkdLE8s875jrHxf7NUszY/w123-h200/876D8996-66EE-4FFD-BE4B-3B0D35F36C00.jpeg" width="123" /></a></span></font></span></div><span class="s1"><font color="#000000" face="sans-serif" size="3"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.3); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: left;">I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through <span class="s2" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); display: inline;"><a href="https://www.netgalley.com/" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">NetGalley</a>. I </span>received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.</span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.3); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">A mystery, a library, a small town and a witch! Josie is a librarian at the library of Congress, who overhears a senator making a shady deal. When she and a co-worker whistleblow it, the co-worker disappears. So Josie feels she needs to too. She answers an ad for a librarian position in Wilfred, Oregon. But not all is as ideal as it seems. Josie finds a dead body on her first day. <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); display: inline;">This was a great seasonal read, The characters in Wilfred were wonderful and colorful. And the library itself was magical. I’m not 100% sure I like Josie, but I don’t hate her either. It is obvious this is meant to be a first book in the series, and I do look forward to reading more.</span></span></font></span><p></p>Serindehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04998792019129349517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5401992581904428627.post-12587287020052229522020-10-18T09:38:00.001-07:002020-10-18T09:38:38.588-07:00The Haunting of Brynn Wilder by Wendy Webb (read10/14/20 to 10/17/20) - 3 star<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; display: inline; font-size: 12pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSpcxlbuOPaQqQ4NI2Zm6_BwqfLikXesQ3u-e8vG45gyFWeb2kXJv30gKXtfUc3OKhI0yYTAkDYoerE-fkXHD4i-XlNA5FiPcQvTTxTaKr6PTwns21PH29hxvKTkXvFU1lkBS_1hdLwis/s113/18A6AD90-F8CB-4C33-BA54-DCA759C8BC0E.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="113" data-original-width="75" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSpcxlbuOPaQqQ4NI2Zm6_BwqfLikXesQ3u-e8vG45gyFWeb2kXJv30gKXtfUc3OKhI0yYTAkDYoerE-fkXHD4i-XlNA5FiPcQvTTxTaKr6PTwns21PH29hxvKTkXvFU1lkBS_1hdLwis/s0/18A6AD90-F8CB-4C33-BA54-DCA759C8BC0E.jpeg" /></a></div>I received this book as an Amazon Prime Early Reads. I was excited to read it because I had read and enjoyed two other Wendy Webb books: The End of Temerence Dare and The Lady in the Lake, both of which had solid 3 stars from me. Consistency is important. </span></div><div>This book I was pleasantly surprised to find takes place in Wharton, the same town on Lake Superior’s shores as The Lady in the Lake. And we got to revisit with some of the same characters, although if you haven’t read Lady in the Lake, it’s ok you will not be lost this is not a sequel.</div><div>Brynn Wilder comes to Wharton to escape an avalanche of loss in her life. And she stays at boarding house for the summer where she meets the other long term boarders and quickly makes friends. But there is a mystery afoot, over the winter a mysterious woman died in Room 5, and nobody knows who she was or how she got there. Then Brynn starts dreaming of her.....</div><div>This wasn’t my favorite Wendy Webb book, it was again consistent writing. Her characters are well written and she develops the mystery well. And the best part in my mind is that she actually resolves it in the final chapter. <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; display: inline; font-size: 12pt;">However, I did not like the resolution, I felt it was a little too far out there. If I was basing my rating on just how much I liked the story it would be a 2-star. But her writing style and solidness of story and character development brought this book up to its 3-star rating.</span></div>Serindehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04998792019129349517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5401992581904428627.post-12768825876403677102020-10-17T20:38:00.000-07:002020-10-19T21:23:49.295-07:00Where has the year gone?Wow we are in October already. My last post was in June...that is craziness!<div style="text-align: left;">Of course I have read a ton of books between now and then, 33 to be exact. That is far too many for a summary post. So I’m just going to show my goodreads list...most of them in goodreads I didn’t even bother write reviews either..it’s been a tough motivation year.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv1C-4_2XDjd-5dHvALLQxNZJQUQZ_82cDjacIDn6_sl168BZxN006B-V9rSSD7SqKEyMqFLwPcNJ67rTV5FR4vAfYm9c8S-Z4qroHBA7Lhyphenhyphena3nROj3NkZHUivf6knFmtYgBwRAQjqSMQ/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1684" data-original-width="1242" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv1C-4_2XDjd-5dHvALLQxNZJQUQZ_82cDjacIDn6_sl168BZxN006B-V9rSSD7SqKEyMqFLwPcNJ67rTV5FR4vAfYm9c8S-Z4qroHBA7Lhyphenhyphena3nROj3NkZHUivf6knFmtYgBwRAQjqSMQ/w295-h400/IMG_2044.jpeg" width="295" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNyXVsaTBF1icDe39s65RnyCDlMnBsINkEgSSUFWIMhQuXlae2ZAaOMeU-QiMH4Dug1DHtqtiqlhiEWNJEi7BLP60LghZSRYgF09SHQG9vXqqArmPDxmp_Sdr0T3WXEoTINucC_-scfE8/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1666" data-original-width="1242" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNyXVsaTBF1icDe39s65RnyCDlMnBsINkEgSSUFWIMhQuXlae2ZAaOMeU-QiMH4Dug1DHtqtiqlhiEWNJEi7BLP60LghZSRYgF09SHQG9vXqqArmPDxmp_Sdr0T3WXEoTINucC_-scfE8/w298-h400/IMG_2045.jpeg" width="298" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW4z2vdNIIPOwOtIN79zEpIu1lSmoMNE6D6gOjHvMqTB3Pqnk6lZidAqVDA1tXcwJpI51-5ufLTB-18_23EICTTyZnwTBjV7d5dzVi79THMxFKdHlHZtU1VMgw5-cpvoXoFJJJj_oP9OY/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1397" data-original-width="1242" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW4z2vdNIIPOwOtIN79zEpIu1lSmoMNE6D6gOjHvMqTB3Pqnk6lZidAqVDA1tXcwJpI51-5ufLTB-18_23EICTTyZnwTBjV7d5dzVi79THMxFKdHlHZtU1VMgw5-cpvoXoFJJJj_oP9OY/w355-h400/IMG_2046.jpeg" width="355" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjde-Pvob4C6Yc8ldMAmc5hWxf8YoXUImJgAn8QcXF2nbsBpwNU4Gv9qAEq_YADUfBOSxnF8eJfzjTMRNt8ezzDmnzktOSY56ARfCBh0miqNidD4bD9udUIqSZrruBppUfDdhbo3dODEik/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1674" data-original-width="1242" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjde-Pvob4C6Yc8ldMAmc5hWxf8YoXUImJgAn8QcXF2nbsBpwNU4Gv9qAEq_YADUfBOSxnF8eJfzjTMRNt8ezzDmnzktOSY56ARfCBh0miqNidD4bD9udUIqSZrruBppUfDdhbo3dODEik/w297-h400/IMG_2047.jpeg" width="297" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXcEQ-beCbUC3rORIC67-QA7uxifYgdO7QlajA_VkHJDS_2XWcwOsreFsC87zPBD31WGJ1DOVCJqRTQcqv1K2ERYhi9NH_XNAm1VTgjmETW8zVL9a4OH7YocztQuduAVHF7VENBaFSI2I/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1657" data-original-width="1242" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXcEQ-beCbUC3rORIC67-QA7uxifYgdO7QlajA_VkHJDS_2XWcwOsreFsC87zPBD31WGJ1DOVCJqRTQcqv1K2ERYhi9NH_XNAm1VTgjmETW8zVL9a4OH7YocztQuduAVHF7VENBaFSI2I/w300-h400/IMG_2048.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiotzzR47qi2h91RD0c6KiJdyXMMq1bqKznXg3SoUNURBfxBoQI6sOTxOs8BczLJq8d9B8Fm29jBEbiDKAPs-W0rVoiqSiUxaaEIltrpfSo01V1VLN0DNQ2oba2cOp4OKIq7jHExxJjgwI/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1229" data-original-width="1242" height="395" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiotzzR47qi2h91RD0c6KiJdyXMMq1bqKznXg3SoUNURBfxBoQI6sOTxOs8BczLJq8d9B8Fm29jBEbiDKAPs-W0rVoiqSiUxaaEIltrpfSo01V1VLN0DNQ2oba2cOp4OKIq7jHExxJjgwI/w400-h395/IMG_2049.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-6iImKgyIU3RkjMNNdCPc5FISwOBTeyUoILkNd0tXu6aZQywm3_lbmyfpIktCAeCB9tOdn6AEQXbk_llAfREkhIKxZ4udbg1j4eNzXgqIuu3QP7ZAhyphenhyphenUiJI5zLJtIoZnPEr5MX7sLUts/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1427" data-original-width="1242" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-6iImKgyIU3RkjMNNdCPc5FISwOBTeyUoILkNd0tXu6aZQywm3_lbmyfpIktCAeCB9tOdn6AEQXbk_llAfREkhIKxZ4udbg1j4eNzXgqIuu3QP7ZAhyphenhyphenUiJI5zLJtIoZnPEr5MX7sLUts/w348-h400/IMG_2050.jpeg" width="348" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMziUJHCJVBsKXcruEUDNrYjCRr06Kn-tmjGv95HxUvvSrcwJ-pXpwZvTp0dphaY1cH53vBk-wReLo6HnRLNy_mI_3_gZSntpKenApvyVonkSTy9F1__sgTTb9bKSCi3sNHy5Lt8ZtJt4/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1434" data-original-width="1242" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMziUJHCJVBsKXcruEUDNrYjCRr06Kn-tmjGv95HxUvvSrcwJ-pXpwZvTp0dphaY1cH53vBk-wReLo6HnRLNy_mI_3_gZSntpKenApvyVonkSTy9F1__sgTTb9bKSCi3sNHy5Lt8ZtJt4/w347-h400/IMG_2051.jpeg" width="347" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLgS-9abv8NU5A_KfVsev7EOykocIBzDZKDpIW-ZOoRX0LFl_JAIbBYAfiP8_95feJ7RrJ_s7Ue0jPkKp9zLn25GTnh4tghr_6l9oGs3e39rlIK8b6tJgCAMdLBuUMTERv0oMFHMg48pg/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1245" data-original-width="1242" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLgS-9abv8NU5A_KfVsev7EOykocIBzDZKDpIW-ZOoRX0LFl_JAIbBYAfiP8_95feJ7RrJ_s7Ue0jPkKp9zLn25GTnh4tghr_6l9oGs3e39rlIK8b6tJgCAMdLBuUMTERv0oMFHMg48pg/w398-h400/IMG_2052.jpeg" width="398" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwmRcMO8KfKJq9W5ytUmlw_B_HGDWbPOq_Ku5SGXe3DzW0-ujRNHm8r23n_qTjIBa74cXKA_RnMcVRZZjghhNFW4xOEvR5TWA8YoJazRF4rIbfHPNbRmW9Aq6GefBNnEqNE6ysQjHRyUA/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1018" data-original-width="1242" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwmRcMO8KfKJq9W5ytUmlw_B_HGDWbPOq_Ku5SGXe3DzW0-ujRNHm8r23n_qTjIBa74cXKA_RnMcVRZZjghhNFW4xOEvR5TWA8YoJazRF4rIbfHPNbRmW9Aq6GefBNnEqNE6ysQjHRyUA/w400-h328/IMG_2053.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The ones I did review are as follows:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIQFE47x7iPV00tb7IqjvjMEDfsi9r3l3nqemP-1lT_Q43llxjLAmd1WsAH__-6b_4Y4rtAgsD1eSRQe8iIlSAS14jZLkCZ5J8Uan46W6WpN56C3mTnKbwSHZO6ensi4dtcfc7HD4A8Hg/s320/3DAE8C10-7602-47EA-8C8D-05600BFEF811_4_5005_c.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="213" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIQFE47x7iPV00tb7IqjvjMEDfsi9r3l3nqemP-1lT_Q43llxjLAmd1WsAH__-6b_4Y4rtAgsD1eSRQe8iIlSAS14jZLkCZ5J8Uan46W6WpN56C3mTnKbwSHZO6ensi4dtcfc7HD4A8Hg/w133-h200/3DAE8C10-7602-47EA-8C8D-05600BFEF811_4_5005_c.jpeg" width="133" /></a></div>Confessions on the 7:45</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; display: inline; font-size: 12pt;">This was an engrossing book, the characters and story kept me guessing and staying up past my bedtime. It was really well written and a great read.</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb97aK9t5UiYowoK-hfJyXTywTkCQXa96P-4TWoIwe1mRnjo4Awv_rOVyC8QMcVSsDkHemzDVeo4vKwYFwRTNYg16FcCXgmPdDBiK6aNR1BjkxkgVJuzqopduBw8G0Xf_IXbcx80EHkTA/s314/EBD66737-6C98-4F0D-B764-39421E30ED1E_4_5005_c.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="210" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb97aK9t5UiYowoK-hfJyXTywTkCQXa96P-4TWoIwe1mRnjo4Awv_rOVyC8QMcVSsDkHemzDVeo4vKwYFwRTNYg16FcCXgmPdDBiK6aNR1BjkxkgVJuzqopduBw8G0Xf_IXbcx80EHkTA/w134-h200/EBD66737-6C98-4F0D-B764-39421E30ED1E_4_5005_c.jpeg" width="134" /></a></div>Dark Tides</b></div><div>I wanted to like this book truly I did. I really liked the first one and I was excited to read this one. However the characters did not have the same resonance with me as in the first book. I hated Livia and I had trouble connecting with Sarah and Johnnie and Alys. And I really didn’t care for the Ned storyline either. It was well written and the story flowed, I just did not care for the characters and I read it quickly so I could get through it.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN8j-aCK9K3KROVmBT3pBidrjKfby1tHCMIoia6g9kqcC_LMm_Sw5jCcwHe4TXyzaV20QiHdKq7plFNXr-wvHT6HSyy5JUyYQs3lC0UgJkwxiTo_RiTaH8nwF0kJ1GIUbNMivC1h4I87w/s318/195C581C-ACF9-4425-8CEF-566D5423566D_4_5005_c.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="318" data-original-width="207" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN8j-aCK9K3KROVmBT3pBidrjKfby1tHCMIoia6g9kqcC_LMm_Sw5jCcwHe4TXyzaV20QiHdKq7plFNXr-wvHT6HSyy5JUyYQs3lC0UgJkwxiTo_RiTaH8nwF0kJ1GIUbNMivC1h4I87w/w130-h200/195C581C-ACF9-4425-8CEF-566D5423566D_4_5005_c.jpeg" width="130" /></a></div>The Book of Two Ways</b></div><div><div>This was a good book right up until the end. It was a little slow at the beginning and I felt like the chapters were long. But it worked to keep me reading later than I planned. I missed many a bed time. It was a solid 3 moving towards a 4. The ending or I should say lack of ending for ruined it for me. They both abruptly end with no resolution and I hated it, I almost threw my iPad against the wall I was so upset! But luckily I was fiscally minded enough not to.</div><div>I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsiTyF2CYrNBIltKMsZi-jywemSDQ2inaxFDa4UqBSogtvMlpzV1ojQO7JYkB-eULOF37NwIzba7RdVrBRLcVvluZuUf8JZmevnVO7Fd3QhWM84ZDSxOQPqudGDxkNKBRozUVEuRefXWM/s320/962D826D-D97C-4864-B1B8-6C221BC69C9F_4_5005_c.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="214" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsiTyF2CYrNBIltKMsZi-jywemSDQ2inaxFDa4UqBSogtvMlpzV1ojQO7JYkB-eULOF37NwIzba7RdVrBRLcVvluZuUf8JZmevnVO7Fd3QhWM84ZDSxOQPqudGDxkNKBRozUVEuRefXWM/w134-h200/962D826D-D97C-4864-B1B8-6C221BC69C9F_4_5005_c.jpeg" width="134" /></a></div>The-Star Crossed Sisters of Tuscany</b></div><div><div>To be fair when I first got this book, I wasn’t sure I was going to like it. I love Italy and the premise was great. But I wasn’t sure the sisters and the mystery was going to do it for me. Boy was I wrong this was amazing! I was so drawn into the characters but the ones I loved and the ones I hated. I can’t say the ending was a complete surprise but it did leave me guessing up to the end.</div><div>I received this book as an Advanced Reader’s Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.</div></div>Serindehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04998792019129349517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5401992581904428627.post-47866899573169859942020-06-06T20:52:00.000-07:002020-06-06T20:52:33.199-07:00Daughter from the Dark by Marina & Sergey Dyachenko - 2Star (Read 2/10 to 6/6)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaxqBPHDMbCOTWJrEtDvK9UKhLhpCw_I9esKOWwK12B3o41X3CecJSsNBUDppeAc73c4uItB7NjQkT5xiyaA5md_8QVRKpTzPrnoGNB6qqXPIEzOh_Qou2F_fQe_3dOuQK7iAfMTzrfO8/s1600/29F56AAE-2DB1-4E75-A30F-AD6805700EEC_4_5005_c.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="254" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaxqBPHDMbCOTWJrEtDvK9UKhLhpCw_I9esKOWwK12B3o41X3CecJSsNBUDppeAc73c4uItB7NjQkT5xiyaA5md_8QVRKpTzPrnoGNB6qqXPIEzOh_Qou2F_fQe_3dOuQK7iAfMTzrfO8/s200/29F56AAE-2DB1-4E75-A30F-AD6805700EEC_4_5005_c.jpeg" width="131" style="max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%; height: auto; width: auto;"></a></div>
I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through <a href="https://www.netgalley.com/">NetGalley</a>. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.<div><font face="sans-serif" size="3"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.3); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="display: inline !important;"><br></span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.3); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="display: inline !important;">This is a translated work from a Ukrainian husband and wife team. I will admit up front that I think due to cultural differences, some of the book really was baffling to me. There are social graces or norms, that are probably normal in the Ukrain, but are odd to a US reader. For example the interaction with the teenagers in the first chapter had a lot of cultural nuances I felt I was missing.</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.3); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="display: inline !important;"><br></span></span><span style="display: inline !important;"><div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.3); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Aspirin is a DJ and he finds a 10 year old girl, Alyona, on his doorstep. She says someone is looking for her. She won’t talk to him though and he leaves her, then he runs into some teenagers about a block away, who chase him with their dog. He goes back for the girl, as they flee she tosses her teddy bear back into the alley and it kills the dog. Aspirin takes her home, he really doesn’t know what is happening or what else to do with her. In the morning she refuses to leave. <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); display: inline !important;">Claiming that she is a musical prodigy, Alyona insists she must play a complicated violin piece to find her brother. And her is where it gets a bit more confusing. I think she is an Angel, but who she is, is never fully explained.</span></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.3); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); display: inline !important;">Be aware there is a lot of </span><span style="display: inline !important; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.3); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000000">cursing, like every other word. Also there are very violent scenes when Alyona’s teddy bear defends her.</font></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="display: inline !important; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.3); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000000"><br></font></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"><font color="#000000"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.3); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">This book took me a long time to read. I put it down and came back to finish it almost 4 months after I started it. I really couldn’t relate to the characters in the story line wasn’t as enthralling as it sounded in the description. I don’t think that it’s because of the authors, I think that it had to do with the translation. I feel like there was some sort of heart missing from the story. It was an OK story plot wise, and I like some of the interesting factors.</span></font></div></span></font><br></div>Serindehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04998792019129349517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5401992581904428627.post-61684094573787481792020-06-03T19:32:00.000-07:002020-06-03T21:44:30.414-07:00March Reads Wrap Up<br />
Well I have been out of commission for a while. I have still been reading, but I just haven’t had tome to write up. So For March/April/May you are getting a summary of the month, and I’m going to try and get back on track in June.<br />
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In the Shadow of the Sun by E. M. Castellated - 5 Stars (Read 3/4 to 3/8)<br />
This is the February OUABC selection, it was wonderful as usual. I really enjoyed the writing and the story and the magical twists. I didn't know much about the Louis XIV and his reign, I found myself googling like a mad woman throughout the book. I love it.<br />
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The Dragon of Lonely Island by Rebecca Rupp - 3 Star (Read 3/8 to 3/9)<br />
This was a book my son requested me to read. <br />Fafnyr Goldenwings, a three-headed dragon that sleeps deep inside a cave on Drake's Hill. Because their mother needs a quiet place to finish her novel, the three Davis children find themselves spending the summer on Drake's hill. They meet Fafnyr and each head tells a story.<br />This was an ok book. it was a quick read and it made my son happy for me to read it.</div>
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The Bookshop on the Shore by Jenny Colgan - 3 Star (Read 3/10 to 3/11)<br />
This was the final book from my Quarterly Book Exchange. This is a follow <u>The Bookshop on the Corner</u>, which wasn't a real problem it was fine as a stand alone book. A single mother Zoe takes her 4 year old son to Scotland, and is hired to help Nina while she is on maternity leave. <br />
I didn't love this book, but I didn't hate it either. It was super predictable, and the characters were flat. I really hated Jaz though! This was a light read for me, but I probably won't read the book that came before this. </div>
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City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert - 3 Star (Listened to 2/29 to 3/14)<br />
This was an audio book I listened to. It is the story of a woman finding herself in the 1930's, she was promiscuous and wild. She found and lost love. I didn't love it, the story was slow for me, I wonder if I would have liked it better if I had read it.</div>
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Tigers, Not Daughters by Samantha Mabry - 3 Star (Read 3/12 to 3/16)<br />
I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.<br />
There are four Torres girls, Ana (18), Jessica (16), Iridian (15), and Rosa (12). One summer night they run away from home, the 15 year old teenage boys across the street see them, Hector, Peter, Luis, Jimmy, Calvin and the narrator. However the boys chase after the girls and when they leave their house Hector’s mom figures out what has happened and alerts the Torres sisters dad, Rafe. Rafe comes and gets them and takes them home. The narrator blames himself and his friends for messing up the girls escape. And also because they didn’t escape, for Ana’s death 2 months later. We come back on the Anniversary of Ana’s death, and the story follows how the sisters are surviving in the wake of their tragedy.Lots of sensitive material: death, teenage promiscuity, domestic violence, alcoholism. But all in a pg light, yeah it is there and life is messy but it’s not over the top or rated R. This was an ok book. It had some really slow parts, but the last 3rd really picked up. I’m not sure I cared for the story arc, there are a lot of unanswered questions. But it was ok.<br />
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Willa’s Grove by Laura Munson - 5 Star (Read 3/17 to 3/22)<br />
I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.<br />
Three women received an invitation to Montana to Willa’s Grove. Willa Silvester lives in Willa, Montana population 32. Willa is a 46 year old widow. She seems to be on the outs with most of the residents of the town, they are angry at Willa for choosing to move away after living there for 20 years. Willa has invited three friends to her cabin before she leaves; Bliss, Harriet, and Jane. Each is going through her own life changing experience, and the women form a community to help each other through.This book is now on my favorites list. It is a heartbreaking but relatable story about 4 women in their late 30’s to early 40’s whose lives have all been turned upside down one way or another. And they have come together to support each other to determine what’s next. I’m not sure how to explain how this book is speaking to me on so many emotional levels. It is putting into words so many things that I felt and felt with during and right after the divorce, of finding out who am I, my supposed to be didn’t turn out the way it was planned to, what does my future look like how? I get it, I get where they are and what that place looks like in retrospect, even if you aren’t in the middle of a life’s crisis the raw beauty and message of this book is absolutely worth the read.Spent the last 10% crying, just wow!<br />
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The Mother’s Promise by Sally Hepworth - 5 Star (Read 3/24 to 3/25)<br />
Once again OUABC knocked it out of the park. I had received this last year in the Mother’s Day box, and just hadn’t gotten around to it for some reason. Man I should have. The characters are great and so relatable, the story was heart breaking but in a good way. I’m not going to lie it’s a tear jerker of a book, but that is how you know it is good.<br />
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Do Nothing: How to Break Away from Overworking, Overdoing, and I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.<br />
Underliving by Celeste Headlee - 3 Star (Read 3/22 to 3/27)<br />
Not at all what I expected, it was more or of a history of how we became so focused on productivity and multi-tasking than about how to do nothing. I don’t know now that I have read it that it is self-help, I feel like it is more encouraging the reader to self-evaluate, to remember to breathe and take moments to enjoy the life they built. That it isn’t a competition of who is busiest, that family and work can and should be separate spheres.<br />
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The List of Things That Will Not Change by Rebecca Stead - 3 Star (Read 3/27 to 3/30)<br />
I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.<br />
When Bea was 8, her parents told her they were getting a divorce and notebook to record the things that were not changing. This is the story her Dad’s wedding and what lead up to it. It was good, little convoluted as to what the story was really about. </div>
Serindehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04998792019129349517noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5401992581904428627.post-5979853562037904982020-06-03T19:26:00.000-07:002020-06-03T22:05:29.506-07:00April Read Wrap Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Music for Tigers by Michelle Kadarusman - 3 Star (Read 4/5 to 4/8)<br />
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I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.<br />
Louisa has been sent to spend the summer with her Uncle Rufus, Ruff for short, at a Tasmanian Bush camp. She doesn’t want to be there, she wants to be practicing her violin to audition for the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra. <br />
I had troubles with this one, it just doesn’t appeal. The story isn’t engaging or making me want to finish. I really struggled. The characters felt flat to me, and the mystery was a good plot line, but somehow it didn’t draw me in. <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue";"><br /></span><br />
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The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd - 5 Star (Read 4/1 to 4/5)<br />
I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.<br />
This was an amazing book! I am not religious, but I was still drawn into the story, and I found myself crying at Jesu's cruxifixction as if I was a devout christian. Sue Monk Kidd has once again hit it out of the park. I fell in love.<br />
I had troubles with this one, it just doesn’t appeal. The story isn’t engaging or making me want to finish. I really struggled. The characters felt flat to me, and the mystery was a good plot line, but somehow it didn’t draw me in.<br />
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The New Husband by D.J. Palmer - 5 Star (Read 4/8 to 4/13)<br />
I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.<br />
Nina, her 13 year old daughter Maggie, and 16 year old son Connor are moving in with Nina’s new boyfriend Simon. Maggie is resentful of the move and doesn’t accept Simon in their lives. Also Simon is her social studies teacher. Connor is more accepting. Their father Glen is gone, he has been missing for 16 months, and New Hampshire says someone must be missing for 2 years before they will grant a divorce. Once her divorce is granted, Nina plans to marry Simon. Nina was having some financial troubles and it moved the move in with Simon up and she worries about how Maggie is taking things.<br />
I loved this book, I loved the fast paced storyline and the characters, and I saw part of the twist, but when the truth came out I actually gasped aloud!</div>
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The Last Letter from Juliet by Melanie Hudson - 5 Star (Read 4/13 to 4/17)</div>
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This was the January OUABC read. It is the love story of a Juliet, a WWII ATA woman pilot and a man called Edward. When Juliet is 100 years old, Katherine comes to stay at Juliet's cottage, and finds her memoirs. This is a poignant and heartbreaking story of love and war and loss. I couldn't put it down.</div>
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Frogkisser! By Garth Nix - 4 Star (Read 4/17 to 4/20)<br />
I read this book for BOTM's February read: YA. This was a hilarious story from Garth Nix about a princess that goes on a quest to save her kingdom and her sister, and gains the name Frogkisser, and saves much more than she expected. It was fun and funny, and really an enjoyable read.</div>
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Lady Clementine by Marie Benedict - 2 Star (Read 12/18/19 to 4/22/20)<br />
I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.<br />
I wanted to like this book, but I didn’t. I didn’t like the portrayal of the Churchill’s, and it may be true but it still made me dislike them as people. This book dragged for me, as you can see it took me almost 5 months to finish, I kept starting and stopping because I didn’t care for it.<br />
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The Love Story of Missy Carmichael by Beth Morrey - 4 Star (Read 4/22 to 4/29)</div>
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I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.<br />
Millicent (Missy) Carmichael is 79 years old and she is a bit unmotivated. She is going to something called a fish-stunning but she really just wants to go back to bed instead. It seems her husband is dead, and she isn’t very close to her children. And she befriends some women in the park and changes her life.<br />
I really love the story though, and I admit I spent the last 10% crying like crazy. Also there wasn't a lot of movement in the story, lots of character growth though, which I know seems odd, but not much happened besides internal growth of the characters, and Missy coming to terms with her life.Serindehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04998792019129349517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5401992581904428627.post-21349856654430054932020-06-03T19:23:00.000-07:002020-06-03T22:20:04.990-07:00May Read Wrap UPS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Remembrance by Rita Woods - 3 Star (Read 4/29 to 5/1)</div>
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This was a OUABC book for Feburary.</div>
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This was a magical realism book about a place on the Underground Railroad, that no one can find unless you are invited in. It spans 1791 to present day and follows the lives of three women, and we find in the end how they are all tied together.<br />
I really enjoyed this book, I didn't think I would. But the writing and the story were beautiful.</div>
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Wild land by Rebecca Hodge - 5 Star (Read 5/1 to 5/2)<br />
This was a OUABC book for March.<br />
I almost didn't buy this book, the story sounded so meh to me. A woman is on vacation and a wildfire happens and she has to save two children and some dogs...meh. But then I opened it and I started to read it, I absolutely could not put it down, I read it on sitting! It is beautiful and touching, and the characters are deep and flawed but real. And scenery is so realistic and immersive. I highly recommend it. I hope they make this a movie!<br />
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Rules for Moving by Nancy Star - 3 Star (Read 5/2 to 5/6)<br />
I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.<br />
Lane writes the advise column “Dear Roxie.” It seems she is fairly popular and there are ads up for her “live chat” all over. This makes Lane uncomfortable, but it was her employer’s decision not hers. Aaron is Lane’s husband, and it seems he is an alcoholic. They are getting a divorce, but haven’t told told the world in general yet. Lane and Aaron get in a fight over a work party he wants her to go to, she still refuses to go and calls him a Lyft. Later that night a policeman shows up to tell her Aaron has died in a car accident. In the aftermath, Lane tries to put her life back together.</div>
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This was an ok book for me, I only gave it three stars. There was just a lot going on. It felt like the author wanted to include so many issues, and as a result just mishmashes them all together without really exploring any. I wish she had just focused on Aaron's death and it's effects on Lane and Henry. Lane also really bothered me, I get bring introverted but man, she really had her head in the sand and focused on all the wrong details a lot. And then she would make decisions her character would never make and Star would acknowledge it but be like oh well she made a random decision, and we as readers all know it was just needed for plot movement. If the character doesn't fit the plot, maybe adjust the character?</div>
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At All Costs (Honor Harrington #1) by David Weber - 4 Star (Read 5/12 to 5/23)<br />
This was my May BOTM club read, for sci-fi. It was quite the tomb. We meet Honor again, out gunned and the underdog. But as always never count her out. There were some great growth moments in her personal life as well. I'm not sure I really like the direction Weber went, but I feel he stayed true to Honor's personality in the situation. I admit, a beloved character dies in the final chapters and I was heart broken.</div>
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The Herd by Andrea Barr’s - 3 Star (Read 5/23 to 5/28)<br />
This was a OUABC book for April.<br />
I really struggled with this book, and I almost gave up. This is the story of a high-powered woman that goes missing, and her close friends search for her and uncover lots of mysteries. I had a hard time connecting with the characters, which means the story was dragging for me. And the mystery didn't drawing me in. It was very meh for me.</div>
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Serindehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04998792019129349517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5401992581904428627.post-75241001155326193102020-06-03T18:21:00.000-07:002020-06-03T22:27:25.196-07:00Her by Harriet Lane - 3 Star (Read 5/30 to 6/2)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This book is told from two points of view, Emma and Nina. When you first meet them, you think they have very little in common, and you are correct. However they do have one thing in common, a single event from when they were teenagers, and event that was so minor to one she doesn't remember it. While it was completely life changing to the other.<br />
I found it interesting that the chapters mirrored each other, one chapter would be told from Emma's point of view, and the next would be the exact same events, but from Nina's point of view. I found it a fun and interesting story telling style. I found the mystery engaging, and it kept me turning the pages. HOWEVER, once we got to the mystery it was a complete let down. And the events of the final pages was heartbreaking and monstrous, and completely out of proprotion to the supposed crime committed. This is why it got 3 stars, I wanted to give it 2 based on the ending, but the writing was so good up until the final chapter.Serindehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04998792019129349517noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5401992581904428627.post-6135458165383507292020-03-08T13:44:00.000-07:002020-03-08T13:44:00.627-07:00What the Other Three Don’t know by Spencer Hyde (Read 3/3/20 to 3/4/20) – 5 Star<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through <a href="https://www.netgalley.com/">NetGalley</a>. It will be published March 3rd, 2020. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.<br /><br />17 year old Indiana, “Indie”, lives with her grandfather. Her Dad left 10 years ago, and her mom died in a rafting accident 2 years ago. She is very jaded and feels very alone. She lives in a small town in Idaho, and by small I mean population 300. Her grandfather is the mortician in the next biggest town Victor, population 2,000. In order to be in the senior journalism class, each student must do a 5 day trip with a group of 3-4 other students from the class, and then write a human interest story about another person on the trip. Indie is going on a rafting trip with 3 other students. Indie needs to write a good story so she can earn a scholarship and make it out of her small town.<br /><br />On the trip with her is Skye Ellis, a Star athlete that now has a prosthetic leg. He is on the trip because his parents are making him. Wyatt Isom an artist with an abusive drunk for a father. He is on the trip because he wants to boost his GPA to get out of their small town. And Shelby Trumane a popular girl who post a ton of social media pictures. She is on the trip because her friend said it was an easy class. The river guide is Nash, he was the same guide for the trip her mother died on. Nothing on the trip however goes as expected and nobody is who they seem to be, in the end the challenges they face will change all their lives forever. <br /><br />This was such a well written novel! I enjoyed it so much. I liked the characters and the setting, and it was fast moving but deep, a really nice blend. Breakfast club, but camping!Serindehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04998792019129349517noreply@blogger.com0