Daughter from the Dark by Marina & Sergey Dyachenko - 2Star (Read 2/10 to 6/6)

I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.

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.

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.  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.Be aware there is a lot of cursing, like every other word.  Also there are very violent scenes when Alyona’s teddy bear defends her.

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.

March Reads Wrap Up

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.

In the Shadow of the Sun by E. M. Castellated - 5 Stars (Read 3/4 to 3/8)
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.

The Dragon of Lonely Island by Rebecca Rupp - 3 Star (Read 3/8 to 3/9)
This was a book my son requested me to read.
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.
This was an ok book. it was a quick read and it made my son happy for me to read it.

The Bookshop on the Shore by Jenny Colgan - 3 Star (Read 3/10 to 3/11)
This was the final book from my Quarterly Book Exchange.  This is a follow The Bookshop on the Corner, 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.
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. 

City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert - 3 Star (Listened to 2/29 to 3/14)
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.

Tigers, Not Daughters by Samantha Mabry - 3 Star (Read 3/12 to 3/16)
I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.
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.

Willa’s Grove by Laura Munson - 5 Star (Read 3/17 to 3/22)
I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.
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!

The Mother’s Promise by Sally Hepworth - 5 Star (Read 3/24 to 3/25)
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.

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.
Underliving by Celeste Headlee - 3 Star (Read 3/22 to 3/27)
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.

The List of Things That Will Not Change by Rebecca Stead - 3 Star (Read 3/27 to 3/30)
I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.
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.

April Read Wrap Up

Music for Tigers by Michelle Kadarusman - 3 Star (Read 4/5 to 4/8)

I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.
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.
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.

The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd - 5 Star (Read 4/1 to 4/5)
I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.
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.
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.

The New Husband by D.J. Palmer - 5 Star (Read 4/8 to 4/13)
I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.
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.
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!

The Last Letter from Juliet by Melanie Hudson - 5 Star (Read 4/13 to 4/17)

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.

Frogkisser! By Garth Nix - 4 Star (Read 4/17 to 4/20)
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.

Lady Clementine by Marie Benedict - 2 Star (Read 12/18/19 to 4/22/20)
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 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.

The Love Story of Missy Carmichael by Beth Morrey - 4 Star (Read 4/22 to 4/29)

I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.
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.
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.

May Read Wrap UPS

Remembrance by Rita Woods - 3 Star (Read 4/29 to 5/1)

This was a OUABC book for Feburary.

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.
I really enjoyed this book, I didn't think I would.  But the writing and the story were beautiful.

Wild land by Rebecca Hodge - 5 Star (Read 5/1 to 5/2)
This was a OUABC book for March.
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!

Rules for Moving by Nancy Star - 3 Star (Read 5/2 to 5/6)
I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.
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.

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?

At All Costs (Honor Harrington #1) by David Weber - 4 Star (Read 5/12 to 5/23)
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.

The Herd by Andrea Barr’s - 3 Star (Read 5/23 to 5/28)
This was a OUABC book for April.
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.

Her by Harriet Lane - 3 Star (Read 5/30 to 6/2)

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.
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.

What the Other Three Don’t know by Spencer Hyde (Read 3/3/20 to 3/4/20) – 5 Star

I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. It will be published March 3rd, 2020. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.

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.

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.

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!

The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow (Read 2/17/20 to 2/23/20) – 4 Star

I received this book as an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) through NetGalley. It will be published February 25, 2020. I received this copy free in exchange for my honest review.

Earth is invaded by the Ilori when Janelle Baker was 15. Janelle is now 17 and she lives in an Ilori prison camp, and she is a librarian of sorts. She loans and finds books for fellow prisoners she calls her patrons. Which Janelle has to do super secretly, because if she is caught sharing books she could be executed by the Ilori. Janelle’s Dad works for the Ilori on the half-solutions program, a monthly mood-enhancing vaccine that turns humans into obedient Ilori servants. Jaenelle’s mother has become a drunk. Commander M0Rr1S is a labmade Ilori, he is the head scientist working on a vaccine. The Ilori plan to cleanse Earth of its pollution for their own habitation, for the true Ilori and make their new colony a truly immersive experience, a vacation planet. M0Rr1S loves human music, and is searching the basement for more of it when he finds Janelle’s library. This kicks off an adventure full of mistrust and earned trust, and finding common ground between species that are never meant to live next to each other. I really enjoyed he characters, and yes it was dystopian sort of, it wasn’t the end of the world. I felt like Dow wanted to write about hope, hope that the world could be different if we set aside some of our prejudice and hate. This was a good book, and I hope there is a sequel.