We Are Never Meeting in Real Life by Samantha Irby: A Review

I love a good book consisting of comedic essays.  Samantha Irby did not disappoint.  I laughed out loud as Irby describes how she hides from children she babysits so that she doesn't have to help with math homework and models clothes for her cat, Helen Keller.  Irby also described her difficult childhood that was a challenge to read but many readers will feel a connection to.  The essays in this book reminded me of the books by Jenny Lawson, another super funny writer.  I really enjoyed the escape that this book gave me and anyone who is looking to have a few good laughs should definitely read this book.

My rating:
★★★★★

Reviews of books like this one:
I Hate Everyone, Except You by Clinton Kelly
Sleepless Nights and Kisses Before Breakfast by Matteo Bussola
Hungry Heart: Adventures in Life, Love and Writing by Jennifer Weiner

This book is currently available and can be purchased from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  Read more reviews on this book on Goodreads.

This is my honest opinion of this book.  I am a participant in the Amazon Affiliates program.  By clicking on the Amazon link and purchasing this product, I receive a small fee.  I am not associated with Goodreads or Barnes and Noble in any way and the links provided are available strictly for your convenience and not to imply a relationship of any kind. 


I do not track activity of visitors beyond that which blogger already does.  If you click on an outside link, those websites may track your activity but I do not actively share any information with third-party websites.

The Lauras by Sara Taylor: A Review

Alex's mom has always been a wanderer but, one night, she decides to take Alex for an epic, across the country road trip to settle scores and learn to overcome her unhappy childhood.  By accompanying her, Alex's childhood pains and lessons are revealed.  

I liked the story about Alex's mom a lot.  I love stories about one's childhood that eventually lead to healing.  It was rather annoying, though, that one of the central parts of this book was that we never discover whether Alex is a boy or a girl.  I didn't really care one way or another but it felt as if the author was trying to be trendy in that "genderless" is very on topic right now.  It felt like the author was trying to bank on that trendiness.  It just didn't feel like it should be an important part of the book and too much of it was used for something that I don't think most people care that much about anyway.  That being said, I really liked both Alex and Alex's mom.  While both have been through enormous painful obstacles, the characters show how resilient people can be.  Even the minor characters were so interesting and unique.  Taylor is a gifted writer.  I felt myself going back and rereading many of her poetic writing.  While many of Alex's mother's stories, and even some of Alex's own stories, are very sad, there are some light moments in this book, as well.  This is not a total downer of a novel by any stretch of the imagination.  I really enjoyed this book and I think anyone who enjoys coming of age stories will, too.

My rating:
★★★★☆

This book is currently available and can be purchased from major booksellers.  Read more reviews on this book on Goodreads.  Visit the publisher, Penguin Random House, for booksellers and information about the book.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.  This is my honest opinion of this book.  I am not associated with Goodreads in any way and the links provided are available strictly for your convenience and not to imply a relationship of any kind. 

I do not track activity of visitors beyond that which blogger already does.  If you click on an outside link, those websites may track your activity but I do not actively share any information with third-party websites.

The Stolen Marriage by Diane Chamberlain: A Review

Chamberlain's The Stolen Marriage has a lot going for it but it could be slow getting there, at times.  Tess DeMello will soon wed her childhood best friend, Vincent, when she decides to take a trip to Washington, DC with one of her friends.  There, she meets a wealthy furniture salesman from Hickory, North Carolina named Henry.  After an evening of too much drinking, Henry gets Tess pregnant.  Shamed by her strong Catholic faith and fearing that her fiancée will not accept her, she travels to North Carolina to ask for financial help from Henry.  He proposes that she marry him instead of raising the child alone.  She agrees but she soon finds that Henry, and her new in-laws, keep a lot of secrets from her.

This book has a lot of things going on.  There is the end of World War II, the polio epidemic and race relations in the American South.  While all of these make for great background stories, there were too many moving parts in this book.  It felt like an imitation of Forrest Gump.  The story could move a bit slow, at times, too.  The ending paid off but I wish that the author had gotten there a bit quicker.  I also wish there was more about Hickory, North Carolina in this book.  One thing that I love about southern fiction is the way that the author is so often able to describe southern life so vividly that you feel as if you are there, living in that city, in that time period.  But I live less than three hours from Hickory and even I didn't feel connected to it.  I grew up in the DC area and I did not feel any connection to Baltimore girl, Tess.  The place and time that Chamberlain described felt unrealistic and... just off.

My complaints about the time and place setting aside, this was an enjoyable book.  Tess DeMello was a likeable character.  Actually, all of the characters were likeable.  There were no true villains in this novel, which was very different.  While Tess's mother-in-law, Ruth, could be cold-hearted and greedy, reasons for her actions were obvious.  Henry's sister, Lucy, seemed, at first, to be meaner than Ruth but she was revealed to have a soft heart, in the end. There really wasn't anybody in this book to hate.  This may be agreeable to some readers and disagreeable to others.  I believed that this book was a mystery when I read about it but it really was more in the category of women's fiction or historical fiction.  I think readers who enjoy historical fiction with a lot going on, where the author does not settle on one important historical topic, would enjoy this book.  


My rating:
★★★☆☆

Reviews of similar books:
If the Creek Don't Rise by Leah Weiss
The Breakdown by B.A. Paris
Secrets of Southern Girls by Haley Harrigan

This book is currently available and can be purchased from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  Read more reviews on this book on Goodreads.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher in order to review it but that did not have an effect on my review of the book.  This is my honest opinion of this book.  I am a participant in the Amazon Affiliates program.  By clicking on the Amazon link and purchasing this product, I receive a small fee.  I am not associated with Goodreads or Barnes and Noble in any way and the links provided are available strictly for your convenience and not to imply a relationship of any kind.

Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood: A Review

Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood

Having really enjoyed The Handmaid's Tale, I was very excited to read Alias Grace and to see that it is a new series on Netflix.  I really enjoyed The Handmaid's Tale but I have to say that I actually liked Alias Grace more.  It might have been because it was based on a true story but the story was fascinating to me. 

Grace Marks is a prisoner, having been found guilty of the grisly murder of her employer and his housekeeper.  She is said to have committed the murders of Nancy Montgomery and Thomas Kinnear with her coworker, James McDermott, who is a surly and jealous man.  While she was initially sentenced to hang like McDermott, she is saved by her lawyer, who pleads with the court to consider her youth, and her sentence is commuted to a life term.  Soon after she is imprisoned, she is committed to an asylum on account of fits and her amnesia surrounding anything to do with the crime.  While she is treated with the worst of the time's psychiatric treatments, she still does not remember anything about the time when Montgomery and Kinnear are murdered.  Years later, a young psychiatrist is brought in by a group trying to prove her innocence to try to help her remember more about the crime.

My favorite part of this book would have to be the characters that Atwood has created, Nancy being one of my favorites.  She is the perfect narcissist.  She is jealous, manipulative and overly sensitive.  One never knows where they stand with her as she can love you or hate you from day to day and minute to minute.  Grace, herself, is actually quite likeable.  She comes off as very intelligent in a very street smart way.  I also think that she could be a very relatable character for many of us in that she is but a product of her past.  While I didn't feel that Dr. Jordan's story added very much to the overall feel of the book, Grace's story was sad but very interesting.  I was left wanting to know more.  The writing style is sophisticated but still very easily readable.  I really enjoyed this book and I believe that anyone who enjoys historical fiction, true crime or medical mysteries will enjoy this book, too.

The series on Netflix compares very nicely with the book.  I didn't think too many liberties were taken with the story.  The overwhelming feeling that I got, both when I read the book and when I watched the TV show, was how sad this story was no matter whether or not Grace Marks did anything.  Grace had such a sad life up until she was 16 and the crimes took place and then ended up in a place where more sadness and depression were heaped onto her.  Some of the phenomena that occurred to her seem to mimic what we would diagnose as psychological disorders today.  While the story took place during the Civil War, this story, with its portrayal of cruelty and the aftermath of a tragic childhood, still ring true today.  I believe this story should be just as popular as Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale and sends just as powerful a message.

My rating:
★★★★★

Reviews of books like this one:
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Quackery: A Brief History of the Worst Ways to Cure Everything by Lydia Kang and Nate Pedersen
The Guest Room by Chris Bohjalian


This book is currently available and can be purchased from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  Read more reviews on this book on Goodreads.

This is my honest opinion of this book.  I am a participant in the Amazon Affiliates program.  By clicking on the Amazon link and purchasing this product, I receive a small fee.  I am not associated with Goodreads or Barnes and Noble in any way and the links provided are available strictly for your convenience and not to imply a relationship of any kind. 


I do not track activity of visitors beyond that which blogger already does.  If you click on an outside link, those websites may track your activity but I do not actively share any information with third-party websites.

Quackery: A Brief History of the Worst Ways to Cure Everything by Lydia Kang and Nate Pedersen: A Review

Not all quacks are snake oil salesmen.  Of course, some of them are and in Quackery you will learn about them.  Some quacks are not out to make a quick buck but legitimately believe in their own ineffective or harmful treatments.  Lydia Kang, a physician, and Nate Pedersen, a journalist, will fascinate you with stories of how doctors used to use substances like cocaine, opium and tobacco to cure disease and did not recognize the dangers associated with them. Tapeworms were used as a diet aid and people thought radiation would cure just about anything that ails. 

I really enjoyed this book and the only fault that I could find with it was that it did not include any current forms of quackery.  Especially with the Internet, misinformation and improper treatments for disease are rampant.  Patients still turn to ineffective treatments and promote them with religious zeal today.

Other than not including current quackery, I really enjoyed learning about all of the unnecessary treatments that desperate patients used to put themselves through.  The information was fascinating and the images really enhanced the stories that went along with them.  I recommend this book to anyone that is interested in interesting medical treatments and history.  The book is written in such a way that most readers will be interested in having a look at this one.

Watch an interview with one of the authors here:

Reviews of books like this one:
Best Intentions by Erika Raskin
Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance
The Happiness Effect by Donna Freitas

This book is currently available and can be purchased from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  Read more reviews on this book on Goodreads.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher in order to review it but that did not have an effect on my review of the book.  This is my honest opinion of this book.  I am a participant in the Amazon Affiliates program.  By clicking on the Amazon link and purchasing this product, I receive a small fee.  I am not associated with Goodreads or Barnes and Noble in any way and the links provided are available strictly for your convenience and not to imply a relationship of any kind.

Hello, Sunshine by Laura Dave: A Review

Sunshine seems to have the perfect career and marriage.  She is the star of a cooking channel on YouTube and is about to launch a Food Network show and her own cookbook.  Everything seems to be going according to plan until an unknown hacker reveals that Sunshine is not who she says she is.  She is far from the down home cook who has a farmer for a father.  Instead, she is from Montauk and the most elaborate recipe she has created was a really good grilled cheese sandwich.  She is going to have to start over, which involves reuniting with her sister and niece. 

This was a quick read but it really didn't appeal to me the way that some other novels have.  It was a little bit syrupy and just didn't hit the spot for me.  The author touches on themes of dishonesty on social media but those who are not interested in social media in the first place will not see this as an important piece of literary fiction.  Without that theme, we are left with the inauthentic relationship between Sunshine and her sister, Rain, and Rain's genius daughter.  There were some parts that I enjoyed in this book but it was not my favorite book of this year.  I would recommend it to those who enjoy women's literature but it misses the mark for an important piece of literary fiction. 

My rating:
★★☆☆☆

More books like this one:
Still Here: A Novel by Lara Vapnyar
Tell Me How This Ends Well  by David Samuel Levinson
Perfect Little World by Kevin Wilson

This book is currently available and can be purchased from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  Read more reviews on this book on Goodreads.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher in order to review it but that did not have an effect on my review of the book.  This is my honest opinion of this book.  I am a participant in the Amazon Affiliates program.  By clicking on the Amazon link and purchasing this product, I receive a small fee.  I am not associated with Goodreads or Barnes and Noble in any way and the links provided are available strictly for your convenience and not to imply a relationship of any kind.

The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83 1/4 Years Old by Hendrik Groen: A Review

According to Hendrik Groen, "Old is in".  It seems as if he is right.  Many books and movies that have recently been released have older protagonists.  Groen's diary is very reminiscent of A Man Called Ove but Groen is likeable from the very first page.  He and a few of his fellow "inmates" have decided to start the Old-But-Not-Dead Club.  Each member of the group take turns planning an outing that helps the others experience life a little more fully.  The group begins to form a close friendship and stick together as their members encounter health problems and lack the comfort that they could receive from loved ones.

This was such a sweet book and some of the parts were more funny than any of the other books I have read this year.  When Mr. Groen is pulled over for driving his mobility scooter too fast, I just about spit out my tea!  The author has a delightful attitude even with his sad past.  Speaking of this sad past, it is not a huge part of this story.  Readers of this book will experience more ups than downs, even though the story does take place in an assisted living facility for older Dutch citizens. 

The characters are a breath of fresh air.  I liked Hendrik but I loved Evert.  Evert tells it like it is and the book is more fun for it.  I really loved reading about the relationships that were built and strengthened over the duration of the book.  This is a great book if you like reading about characters that are rarely written about.  Anyone who enjoys stories about relationships will enjoy this book.  I do wish that there had been more information on the protagonists life prior to being in the assisted living facility but I still loved this book.

View the book trailer here:

My rating:
★★★★★

Reviews of books like this one:
And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Backman
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
This is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel

This book is currently available and can be purchased from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  Read more reviews on this book on Goodreads.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher in order to review it but that did not have an effect on my review of the book.  This is my honest opinion of this book.  I am a participant in the Amazon Affiliates program.  By clicking on the Amazon link and purchasing this product, I receive a small fee.  I am not associated with Goodreads or Barnes and Noble in any way and the links provided are available strictly for your convenience and not to imply a relationship of any kind.

If The Creek Don't Rise by Leah Weiss

In a small town in the Appalachian mountains of North Carolina, a newcomer with a mysterious past comes to educate the youth of the town and ends up learning many new things, herself.  Kate is a teacher who was terminated from her previous position but travels to Baines Creek to work as the town teacher.  Sadie Blue is a young woman who becomes pregnant to a man who is cruel and controlling of her.  Roy and Billie were abused as youngsters and take out their frustration on Sadie and other women.  Eli Perkins is a preacher who wants the best for his community but his sister, Prudence, is as mean as Eli is kind.  Weiss tells each character's story in a fair and impartial way.  She leaves no stone unturned and lets readers know that there are often untold reasons for crimes as heinous as spousal abuse and murder.  Oftentimes, that reason is simply poverty and a hopelessness that one will never escape it. 

I really enjoyed this book for its brave honesty and Weiss' refusal to allow fear or discomfort prevent her from telling hard truths about life.  The characters are perfect.  It is easy for the reader to see the story from all sides when reading If the Creek Don't Rise.  The stories were often hard to stomach.  These are painful accounts from a world that many live in but few in society wants to admit really exists.  When I was reading it, I felt as if I was reading a story set in the mid-1800s but soon realized that I was reading an almost-modern tale of a town who has yet to become modern.  I learned a lot about Appalachian culture from reading this book and I think anyone who enjoys southern fiction or women's fiction will love this book. 

My Rating:
★★★★☆

Reviews of books like this one:
The Education of Dixie Dupree by Donna Everhart
June by Miranda Beverly Whittemore
New Boy by Tracy Chevalier

This book is currently available and can be purchased from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  Read more reviews on this book on Goodreads.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher in order to review it but that did not have an effect on my review of the book.  This is my honest opinion of this book.  I am a participant in the Amazon Affiliates program.  By clicking on the Amazon link and purchasing this product, I receive a small fee.  I am not associated with Goodreads or Barnes and Noble in any way and the links provided are available strictly for your convenience and not to imply a relationship of any kind.

I Need a Lifeguard Everywhere But the Pool by Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella

I read my first Lisa Scottoline novel in April of this year.  This book is so much different from One Perfect Lie.  This book is more of a comedic memoir than a mystery or thriller.  Scottoline and her daughter, Francesca Serritella, write about their funny lives in a series of essays.  Serritella writes about her hiatus from men and the insanity of forcing guests to make wedding dresses from toilet paper at bridal showers.  Scottoline writes about her disabled dog that is in a wheelchair and how she only wears a bra when she absolutely has to.  Both women write about their daily lives in a way that is both self-deprecating but also empowering to women.

There were definitely some very funny parts in this book but I wouldn't say that it was the funniest thing that I have read.  I have read a lot of comedic essay books by authors like Jen Lancaster who have me laughing from the first page to the last.  What I did really like about this book was the very endearing relationship that Scottoline and Serritella display in their work.  They seem to really love what they do (writing) and love each other.  I really enjoyed reading that.  The writing style is very easy to read and I was able to finish the book very quickly.  This is a great book to read when you need something light and entertaining.

My rating:
★★★★☆

Reviews of Books Like This One:
Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick
I Have Everyone, Except You by Clinton Kelly
Hungry Heart: Adventures in Life, Love, and Writing by Jennifer Weiner

This book is currently available and can be purchased from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  Read more reviews on this book on Goodreads.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher in order to review it but that did not have an effect on my review of the book.  This is my honest opinion of this book.  I am a participant in the Amazon Affiliates program.  By clicking on the Amazon link and purchasing this product, I receive a small fee.  I am not associated with Goodreads or Barnes and Noble in any way and the links provided are available strictly for your convenience and not to imply a relationship of any kind.

Still Here: A Novel by Lara Vapnyar: A Review

Sergey has been living, and struggling, in the United States for awhile.  His wife, Vica, is perpetually angry at him because he can't seem to keep a job, despite his PhD earned in Russia and his MBA earned in the US.  Vica is frustrated because she gave up medical school in Russia so that she could follow Sergey to the US and now she works in a cancer hospital, where she can't seem to fit in.  Sergey has an idea for an app which will keep a person's online persona alive once a person has died.  Vica desperately wants Sergey to develop and pitch the app so that she can be a rich man's wife like her friend, Regina.

Regina is married to Bob, a wealthy American who develops web applications.  She used to be a respected translator but has since become depressed since losing her mother to cancer.  She spends her days watching TV and eating foods that an app recommends to her based on her viewing habits.  Her mother's best friend, Masha, wants her to adopt a child but Regina is unsure whether or not she could manager with such a task.

Vadik is a programmer that can't seem to find his place in the world.  He loves his job but he can't find a woman that he loves or a city that he feels at home in.  He moves from place to place and dates multiple women, sometimes at the same time, that he meets on social media.  The story follows the group of friends and their relationships.

One of the first reviews that I read about this book was that it was "Friends with a heavy Russian accent."  I was under the impression that this was a comedic novel of sorts.  While there are some funny parts in it, I wouldn't say that the book is completely dedicated to being a comedy.  That doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy it, though.  There were some very current, interesting themes in the book.  The book touched on themes of our obsession with social media and family.

While it is an immigrant story, it is a completely different immigrant story than we currently read.  The characters are upper-middle class immigrants that try very hard to assimilate into American culture.  I thought that was very refreshing to be able to see an immigration story that wasn't cliched and stereotypical.  The story may be literary fiction but the writing style is very easy going and feel's almost like chick lit when reading it.  Overall, I really liked this book and I think it would be great for anyone looking for a book about immigrants that is different from others.  Those that like novels based on current themes will really like this book.

My rating:
★★★★☆

More reviews of books like this one:
The Guest Room by Christ Bohjalian
The Heirs by Susan Rieger
Tell Me How This Ends Well by David Samuel Levinson

This book is currently available and can be purchased from major booksellers.  Read more reviews on this book on Goodreads.  Visit the publisher, Penguin Random House, for booksellers and information about the book.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.  This is my honest opinion of this book.  I am not associated with Goodreads in any way and the links provided are available strictly for your convenience and not to imply a relationship of any kind. 

I do not track activity of visitors beyond that which blogger already does.  If you click on an outside link, those websites may track your activity but I do not actively share any information with third-party websites.

The Guest Room by Chris Bohjalian: A Review

Richard's life begins to unravel when he hosts a bachelor party for his younger brother, Philip.  One of the guests booked strippers for the party that happened to be captive prostitutes.  The sex slaves, Sonia and Alexandra, end up killing the men who were holding them captive at the party.  This brings unwanted attention to Richard and his family and professional life is greatly affected. 

This story is more than just about exploitation of young women.  It is also about the disintegration of a marriage.  The story could be uncomfortable, at times, but I think that it was an important story for readers.  Sex slavery is such a horrible, but current, topic and one that is important for people to be informed about.  Some of the story could be a bit slow but I really enjoyed reading it, anyway.  The characters were not the best, in this book.  I really enjoyed the characters in Bohjalian's The Sleepwalker but the characters is The Guest Room were very awkward.  When Alexandra speaks, she speaks broken English by omitting "the" in many places.  She was able to speak in complex words and understood synonyms, however.  Alexandra's voice just wasn't very authentic.  Richard, Philip, Kristin and Spencer were not very complex characters.  That being said, I really enjoyed reading this book and I think it is an important story.  Any reader who enjoys literary fiction would enjoy this book.

My rating:
★★★★☆

Reviews of books like this one:
The Sleepwalker by Chris Bohjalian
Best Intentions by Erika Raskin
My Husband's Wife by Jane Corry


This book is currently available and can be purchased from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  Read more reviews on this book on Goodreads.

This is my honest opinion of this book.  I am a participant in the Amazon Affiliates program.  By clicking on the Amazon link and purchasing this product, I receive a small fee.  I am not associated with Goodreads or Barnes and Noble in any way and the links provided are available strictly for your convenience and not to imply a relationship of any kind. 


I do not track activity of visitors beyond that which blogger already does.  If you click on an outside link, those websites may track your activity but I do not actively share any information with third-party websites.

The Breakdown by B.A. Paris

Cass, a teacher who lost her mother after a long struggle with dementia, is driving home from a party on a stormy night.  Her husband, Matthew, warns her against taking a shortcut home because he worries for her safety in such weather.  Cass decides to take the shortcut anyway and sees a woman who appears to be broken down on the side of the road.  Cass stops for a moment to help the woman but is frightened when she thinks it might be a scam and drives away.  After she arrives home, Cass learns that the woman in the car was murdered and someone she had met before.  Cass is deeply disturbed by the tragedy and feels guilty that she didn't try to help the woman.  Soon, Cass begins to suffer from bouts of memory loss, making plans and purchases that she can't remember later.  Then there's the phone calls.  Almost every day, sometimes multiple times a day, Cass answers a call from an unblocked number and a caller who is ominously silent.  Is Cass experiencing a nervous breakdown, experiencing early symptoms of dementia or is someone after her?

I read B.A. Paris's novel Behind Closed Doors a few months ago and I was blown away.  Paris knows how to craft a truly terrifying psychological thriller and how to build suspense slowly.  I have to admit that I didn't enjoy The Breakdown nearly as much.  The psychological terror, the main character's questioning their mental health and the supporting characters who appear perfect to the rest of the world but are completely different when alone were all there.  The suspense may have built just a little too slowly this time, though.  The story still moved along enough that it was able to hold my interest but I would have liked more twists and turns.  That being said, I still enjoyed the story.  Paris is great at creating wonderful, complex characters.  Cass, Matthew and Rachel were very interesting characters.  I couldn't tell until the very end whether or not Cass was experiencing a breakdown.  I really enjoyed this book and I think it is a must for any reader who enjoys psychological thrillers.  

My rating:
★★★★★

Watch an interview with B.A. Paris here:

This book is currently available and can be purchased from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  Read more reviews on this book on Goodreads.

Reviews for books like this one:
Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris
Every Last Lie by Mary Kubica
The Sleepwalker by Chris Bohjalian

This is my honest opinion of this book.  I am a participant in the Amazon Affiliates program.  By clicking on the Amazon link and purchasing this product, I receive a small fee.  I am not associated with Goodreads or Barnes and Noble in any way and the links provided are available strictly for your convenience and not to imply a relationship of any kind. 


I do not track activity of visitors beyond that which blogger already does.  If you click on an outside link, those websites may track your activity but I do not actively share any information with third-party websites.

Every Last Lie by Mary Kubica: A Review

I first heard of Mary Kubica's books when I had finished Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and was looking for similar fiction.  Kubica's books came recommended and I picked up The Good Girl and fell in love with Kubica's thrillers.  I was so excited when I heard that she would be writing another book and got my hands on it as soon as I could.  I was not disappointed!

Clara is mother to Maisie and Felix, a four-day old infant, and wife to Nick, a dentist at an upscale dental office that is bleeding money.  Nick takes Maisie to dance class one day to give Clara time to rest and take care of Felix but he ends up in an accident that leaves him fatally injured while Maisie is virtually unharmed and seems to be unaware of what happened.  Clara is understandably heartbroken and believes that there may have been foul play when Maisie starts to have nightmares and flashbacks involving a man in a black car.  Not getting the attention she would like from the police, Clara decides to investigate Nick's death on her own. 

This thriller has everything!  There are twists and turn and the ending is not one that many readers would be able to predict.  I certainly didn't!  Clara, at one time or another, seems to accuse everyone she knows and some that she doesn't.  Nick was such an interesting character.  I felt myself not able to decide who he really was and neither did Clara.  Clara comes off as a bit unhinged but it is understandable given the circumstances.  There was definitely slow-building suspense but there was also enough to keep one's attention throughout.  The writing made it very easy to read quickly.  I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys psychological thrillers or mysteries and anyone that is looking for a great summer book to read.  I have already had great conversations about Every Last Lie and can't wait for Kubica's new book!

Watch a trailer of the book here:

My rating:
★★★★★

More books like this one:
Don't You Cry by Mary Kubica
The Sleepwalker by Chris Bohjalian
Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris

This book is currently available and can be purchased from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  Read more reviews on this book on Goodreads.

This is my honest opinion of this book.  I am a participant in the Amazon Affiliates program.  By clicking on the Amazon link and purchasing this product, I receive a small fee.  I am not associated with Goodreads or Barnes and Noble in any way and the links provided are available strictly for your convenience and not to imply a relationship of any kind. 


I do not track activity of visitors beyond that which blogger already does.  If you click on an outside link, those websites may track your activity but I do not actively share any information with third-party websites.

My Last Lament by James William Brown

Young Aliki is a witness to her own father's execution at the hands of the Nazis and lives the rest of her childhood with a local woman and her son, Takis.  When the woman hides a Jewish woman and her son, Stelios, Aliki and Takis are exposed to the world of puppetry by Stelios.  The Nazis that occupy the Greek village learn of the Jews in the basement and they kill the women and the children must fend for themselves.  The children earn money by performing puppet shows for a country that is trying to heal itself after the devastation of World War II and the fall of the Nazis.

I usually like historical novels about World War II and the holocaust but this book just didn't do it for me.  I enjoyed the first third of the book but after the Germans left Greece, the story wasn't as interesting.  I think the story would have been better if the story was centered around Stelios and his mother hiding in the basement of Aliki's home but after that point, there was too much going on and it became a very slow read.  The puppetry seemed to take center stage when it was a less important topic of the book.  The characters were very developed and there was a great representation of mental illness in Takis but they couldn't make up for the lack of a great story.  I would recommend this book to someone who is interested in more about the aftereffects of World War II and doesn't mind that there is a lot of unimportant fluff. 

My rating:
★★☆☆☆

Books like this one:
The Woman in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck
The Patriots by Sana Krasikov
June by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore

This book is currently available and can be purchased from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  Read more reviews on this book on Goodreads.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher in order to review it but that did not have an effect on my review of the book.  This is my honest opinion of this book.  I am a participant in the Amazon Affiliates program.  By clicking on the Amazon link and purchasing this product, I receive a small fee.  I am not associated with Goodreads or Barnes and Noble in any way and the links provided are available strictly for your convenience and not to imply a relationship of any kind.

I Hate Everyone, Except You by Clinton Kelly: A Review

Clinton Kelly's memoir I Hate Everyone, Except You had me laughing from the very first page to the very last!  I have to confess that I am not an avid viewer of What Not to Wear so I was able to approach this book as it was presented, without any pretenses.  I am so happy that this book found me!  His writing reminded me of reading a book by David Sedaris, another one of my favorite comedy writers.  Kelly can be a bit snarky when he wants to be but he is surprisingly kind to those he writes about.  His observations on life and society are insightful and relate-able.  I really enjoyed this book and I think anyone who enjoys funny, essay-style memoirs will enjoy this book.  It was a wonderful, light read to pick me up on a rainy day.    

Watch a video about Action Park, the amusement park that Kelly describes in his book:

My rating:
★★★★☆

Books like this one:
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick
Sleepless Nights and Kisses For Breakfast: Reflections on Fatherhood by Matteo Bussola

This book is currently available and can be purchased from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  Read more reviews on this book on Goodreads.

This is my honest opinion of this book.  I am a participant in the Amazon Affiliates program.  By clicking on the Amazon link and purchasing this product, I receive a small fee.  I am not associated with Goodreads or Barnes and Noble in any way and the links provided are available strictly for your convenience and not to imply a relationship of any kind. 


I do not track activity of visitors beyond that which blogger already does.  If you click on an outside link, those websites may track your activity but I do not actively share any information with third-party websites.

The Standard Grand by Jay Baron Nicorvo: A Review

Bellum has gone AWOL and left her husband and home in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.  She is already suffering from Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from her past deployments and can't stomach the idea of another one.  She follows an older veteran that has set up a camp for homeless veterans called The Standard Grande.  Milt inherited The Standard Grande, an old resort in the Catskills, from his father-in-law and uses it to help veterans become more self-sufficient and acclimate to coming home from a war environment.  Milt is under water on the venture, though, and is being aggressively pursued by a company that wants to use the land for what they say is a golf resort.  The veterans aren't so sure that is the real purpose, though.

This book just didn't hit the spot for me.  Most of the story dragged.  I didn't find it humorous and the mystery wasn't enough to keep my attention.  I actually had to leave this book several times and come back to it while reading other books in order to finish it.  There were some questions that I had throughout the book but the book ended without ever answering those questions, ruining any chance of any mystery with a climactic ending.  The writing is strange and very choppy.  I did enjoy Bellum's character and Bellum's story about her childhood and marriage made me understand why she did certain things later.  Most of the characters were very interesting but I think I enjoyed their back stories more than I enjoyed the story about The Standard Grande and IRJ's reasons for wanting to buy it.  This book did have some information about PTSD but I think I would have enjoyed the story more if it had focused on those aspects.  Overall, I just didn't like this book.  I think it would be good for someone that enjoys military banter and doesn't mind when a mystery is not solved at the end of a novel.  It just wasn't my cup of tea, though.   

Watch a video about how EMDR works for victims of PTSD and other types of trauma:

    

My rating:
★★☆☆☆

Reviews for books like this one:
The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit by Michael Finkel
One Perfect Lie by Lisa Scottoline
Windy City Blues by Renee Rosen

This book is currently available and can be purchased from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  Read more reviews on this book on Goodreads.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher in order to review it but that did not have an effect on my review of the book.  This is my honest opinion of this book.  I am a participant in the Amazon Affiliates program.  By clicking on the Amazon link and purchasing this product, I receive a small fee.  I am not associated with Goodreads or Barnes and Noble in any way and the links provided are available strictly for your convenience and not to imply a relationship of any kind.

Secrets in Summer by Nancy Thayer: A Review

Darcy and Boyz divorced due to his infidelity but they were never really compatible to begin with.  Boyz was a uber-successful real estate agent and Darcy is a bookish librarian.  After her divorce and the death of the grandmother who raised her, Darcy moves into her grandmother's old home on Nantucket and begins a peaceful life there as a children's librarian.  She has a new love interest, Nash, and a great group of friends.  The community is smaller during the off-season but now it is summer and the crowds have come to enjoy the great weather.  One of her neighbors happens to be Boyz and the woman he cheated on Darcy with and the other is an older woman with a handsome grandson that might be competition for Nash.

After reading the emotionally charged Human Acts by Han Kang, I wanted something a little lighter to read.  Secrets in Summer did just that.  What a great beach book!  I loved the descriptions of Nantucket and found myself envying the characters for their breezy island lifestyle.  The characters were very interesting.  I love that Darcy is a librarian and enjoys her life with books so much.  If I had one criticism of her it would be that she was a little bit too willing to sacrifice her own wants and needs for those of other people, especially those of the men in her life.  That being said, she was still a wonderful character.  Mimi was vivacious and so funny!  She uses the wisdom that she has gleaned from her older age to help the younger women realize what is really important in life.  I enjoyed the friendship between Darcy, Susan, Mimi and Willow more than I enjoyed the back and forth between Darcy and Boyz but the story itself was very interesting and kept me reading.  This is a great book when you want to read something that is not taxing and won't make you think too much.  It is just enjoyable and fun to read and felt to right for the summer.

My rating:
★★★★☆

Reviews for books like this one:
The Shark Club by Ann Kidd Taylor
Secrets of Southern Girls by Hayley Harrigan
The Mothers by Brit Bennett

This book is currently available and can be purchased from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  Read more reviews on this book on Goodreads.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher in order to review it but that did not have an effect on my review of the book.  This is my honest opinion of this book.  I am a participant in the Amazon Affiliates program.  By clicking on the Amazon link and purchasing this product, I receive a small fee.  I am not associated with Goodreads or Barnes and Noble in any way and the links provided are available strictly for your convenience and not to imply a relationship of any kind.

Human Acts by Han Kang: A Review

A while back, I read Han Kang's book The Vegetarian and was impressed with the unique style and story.  If I'm being honest, I enjoyed The Vegetarian a bit more than Human Acts but I think that Human Acts is a more important work.  The book centers around the shooting and death of middle-school student Dong-ho.  The young boy was shot by the military and his body was disposed of in an unmarked, mass grave.  The book follows Dong-ho, his family, friends and acquaintances and discusses the political turmoil that occurred in South Korea in 1980.  The description of the aftermath of the events puts the reader in the middle of the events.  The book was hard to read but not because of the writing or translation but because of the subject matter.  I think this is an important book for readers to experience because it teaches us about the horrors of political extremism and the military state.

My rating:
★★★★☆

Reviews of books like this one:
The Refugees by Viet Thanh Nguyen
Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
Everything Belongs To Us by Yoojin Grace Wuertz

This book is currently available and can be purchased from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  Read more reviews on this book on Goodreads.

This is my honest opinion of this book.  I am a participant in the Amazon Affiliates program.  By clicking on the Amazon link and purchasing this product, I receive a small fee.  I am not associated with Goodreads or Barnes and Noble in any way and the links provided are available strictly for your convenience and not to imply a relationship of any kind. 


I do not track activity of visitors beyond that which blogger already does.  If you click on an outside link, those websites may track your activity but I do not actively share any information with third-party websites.

The Party by Robyn Harding: A Review

Kim and Jeff Sanders are throwing a party for Hannah, their daughter, on her sixteenth birthday.  Kim and Jeff are very hands on parents and Kim immediately lets the five girls know that the party will only consist of a sleepover, pizza and a movie and not any drugs, alcohol or boys.  Jeff thinks it might be time to let his little girl have a little bit of fun and gives the girls a bottle of champagne.  The girls have a different idea and don't think that is enough.  Each girl sneaks in their own alcohol and drugs and things quickly spiral out of control.  One of the girls gets so intoxicated that she falls into a glass table and ends up cutting her face and eye.  Life is about to change drastically for the girls and their families.

This is an amazing ride of a story!  There are tons of twists and turns and it was so exciting to read it.  There were elements in this book that I didn't expect.  There were also very important elements, as well, such as the lessons about a parent's responsibilities and the realities of over-parenting or under-parenting teenagers.  While the characters were really interesting, they didn't have drastically different voices.  This can all be forgiven, though, because of the complexity of the characters.  Hannah's character is amazingly honest.  At one point, Hannah thinks to herself how much she dislikes some of the things that the so-called popular kids in school do but she would still give up anything to be apart of their group.  Lauren is crazy scary (I don't want to reveal any spoilers- you'll just have to read it to know what I am talking about)!  This book moves incredibly quickly and I felt like I couldn't put it down.  I was hooked from the very first paragraph.  The ending was a true shocker; I didn't see it coming!  I really loved this book and I think it is one of the better books of this year.  Because it can be considered a thriller, a mystery, literary fiction or maybe even young adult fiction, I would recommend this book to any reader.

My rating:
★★★★★

Robyn Harding talks about her book in this video:

Reviews of books like this one:
The Fall of Lisa Bellow by Susan Perabo
This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel
My Husband's Wife by Jane Corry

This book is currently available and can be purchased from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  Read more reviews on this book on Goodreads. 

This is my honest opinion of this book.  I am a participant in the Amazon Affiliates program.  By clicking on the Amazon link and purchasing this product, I receive a small fee.  I am not associated with Goodreads or Barnes and Noble in any way and the links provided are available strictly for your convenience and not to imply a relationship of any kind. 


I do not track activity of visitors beyond that which blogger already does.  If you click on an outside link, those websites may track your activity but I do not actively share any information with third-party websites.

Coversations with Friends by Sally Rooney: A Review

Frances and Bobbi used to date and are now best friends who perform poetry together.  When they meet a writer, Melissa, and her actor husband, Nick, the four quickly form a tight friendship.  Frances soon falls in love with Nick and begins an affair with him.

I really didn't find this book too interesting.   It was actually boring for most of the book.  The only interesting part that I found, Frances' health scare, ended very anticlimactically.  The whole book was actually very anticlimactic.  The characters were all equally unlikable.  All of them were selfish, pretentious and uninteresting.  None of the characters had a unique voice or personality.  While the writing was very fluid, I just couldn't enjoy myself while reading this book because the story and the characters were so flat.

Sally Rooney, Lucy Caldwell, Peggy Hughes and Sara Baume discuss new Irish literature in this video:

My rating:
★☆☆☆☆    

Reviews of books like this one:
The Shark Club by Ann Kidd Taylor
Sweet Bitter by Stephanie Danler
All Grown Up by Jamie Attenberg

This book is expected to be released July 11, 2017 and can be pre-ordered from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  Read more reviews on this book on Goodreads.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Penguin's First to Read program.  This is my honest opinion of this book.  I am a participant in the Amazon Affiliates program.  By clicking on the Amazon link and purchasing this product, I receive a small fee.  I am not associated with Goodreads or Barnes and Noble in any way and the links provided are available strictly for your convenience and not to imply a relationship of any kind. 


I do not track activity of visitors beyond that which blogger already does.  If you click on an outside link, those websites may track your activity but I do not actively share any information with third-party websites.

New Boy by Tracy Chevalier: A Review

I first heard about the Hogarth Shakespeare project when I saw Margaret Atwood's retelling of The Tempest, Hag-Seed on the shelf at my local library.  Being that I am a fan of Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, I immediately checked the book out and read it.  The project asks accomplished writers to retell the works of Shakespeare.  In New Boy, Tracy Chevalier retells the story of Othello with the characters being elementary school children.  It is the 1970s and Osei's father is a diplomat from Ghana.  His recent transfer has moved the family to a Washington, DC suburb.  Being the new kid, and the only black kid in his school, is never easy but he quickly befriends Dee, one of the most popular girls in the school.  Ian, the local bully, sets his targets on the new boy and begins his plans to harm the budding relationship Osei and Dee share.

This book imparts many lessons, including bullying, kindness and racism.  The bullying and racism aspects of the book were very realistic.  It didn't seem to be overly done and it included a reasoning behind the bullying.  The bullying was very psychological, which I have found to be very true to life.  The characters were a bit strange.  The elementary school students had a maturity that I would attribute more to high-schoolers and the teachers were very immature, making them seem to be about the same age as the students.  I have read Chevalier's Girl with a Pearl Earring and did not find the characters to be quite as similar to each other but it could have been because New Boy was so short that it didn't have time for the characters to really develop.  Still, I believe that the students should have had a more realistic age and the teachers could have been a bit more mature (though it is sometimes the case that the adults act the worst in a situation like this).  That being said, I really liked the character of Osei who was able to tell a story about racism and radicalism in America through his own experiences.  The story was very enjoyable to read.  I actually enjoyed it more than other retellings of Othello that I have read and seen.  That it was told from the perspective of children was interesting.  I really enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys Shakespeare or stories about beginning romances.  I also think it would be a great book for an older child or teenager to read to help them understand bullying and racism better and for building an appreciation for Shakespeare and literature, in general (though there are some themes and some language that parents of younger children may be offended by).  I really love the Hogarth Shakespeare series and hope that they will continue the work.

My rating:
★★★★☆

In addition to New Boy, the Hogarth Shakespeare project also includes these retellings:
Jeanette Winterson retells The Winter's Tale in The Gap of Time
Howard Jacobson retells The Merchant of Venice in Shylock Is My Name 
Ann Tyler retells The Taming of the Shrew in Vinegar Girl
Margaret Atwood retells The Tempest in Hag-Seed 
Jo Nesbo retells Macbeth (expected in 2018) 
Edward St. Aubyn retells King Lear (expected in 2018) 
Gillian Flynn retells Hamlet (expected in 2021) 

Tracy Chevalier discusses the book in this video:

Reviews of books like this one:
The Fall of Lisa Bellow by Susan Perabo
The Road to Enchantment by Kaya McLaren
This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel

This book is currently available and can be purchased from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  Read more reviews on this book on Goodreads.

This is my honest opinion of this book.  I am a participant in the Amazon Affiliates program.  By clicking on the Amazon link and purchasing this product, I receive a small fee.  I am not associated with Goodreads or Barnes and Noble in any way and the links provided are available strictly for your convenience and not to imply a relationship of any kind. 


I do not track activity of visitors beyond that which blogger already does.  If you click on an outside link, those websites may track your activity but I do not actively share any information with third-party websites.