I've decided to reread this before reading the second book in the series. It's even better the second time around! Love this book!
This is the first book I've ready by Sarah Addison Allen and I loved it.
It was a quick read and it made me smile numerous times. I liked the characters and their interractions with each other. It was very easy to figure out which characters you were supposed to like and which you were supposed to hate.
The story begins when Josey wakes up to find Della Lee hiding in her closet. Josey lives a sheltered life, waiting on her mother and trying to repent for the meanness she showed to her moter and the town as a child. Josey's father, Marco Cirrini, made the town of Bald Slope well know for it's skiing and winter activities and everyone in town knows Josey as the spoiled daughter of a self-made rich man. Poor Josey. Enter Della Lee, who starts sending Josey out on odd errands for sandwiches, and then turns down the sandwich when Josey returns, thus resulting in Josey eating the sandwich.
These particular sandwiches are made by Chloe, who owns the small dining shop in the courthouse and who has just broken up with her deputy district attorney boyfriend, Jake, whose father is also a prominent figure in Bald Slope high society. Poor Chloe. She not only has to deal with the fact her boyfriend cheated on her, but she has several persistent books chasing after her. Josey has a woman in her closet and Chloe has books following her around. That right there says that this is not going to be a normal encounter for these two young women.
Della Lee then assists Chloe with attracting the attention of the local mailman, Adam, who Chloe has been “mooning” over ever since he started delivering her mail. Della Lee encourages Josey to wear makeup, attend the annual town fair with Chloe and even have a conversation with Adam. All of this advice comes from Della Lee as she sits in Josey's closet.
Josey and Chloe both discover things about themselves and the town that they did not know and they both begin to face secrets they weren't ready to face, and that's in part thanks to Della Lee. These three women are connected but it isn't until the end of the book that you truly discover what that connection is and why Della Lee decides to take up residence in Josey's closet.
Old wrongs are righted and past mistakes are forgiven. In the end, Josey and Chloe find the happiness they deserve and accept the history of their lives, while developing a truly wonderful friendship.
I loved this story so much! I cried so many times! This is a must read for everyone!
I received this book as an advanced e-galley from Penguin Books through their First to Read program. Review to follow, but I will say that I enjoyed this book. I don't know much about the Cuban Missile Crisis, other than what was covered in high school history classes back in the 1990s, so reading about it and how impacted a close-knit family, was very powerful. I love Charlotte and Wes Avery, these 2 characters have the kind of father-daughter relationship that reminds me very much of my relationship with my own father (and made me miss him, terribly). I want a little more time to think about this story before writing a full review, but I am very glad I received this book. I don't know who I would recommend this book to specifically, so I'll just do a blanket recommendation. Look for this book when it appears in stores, and read it, even if you lived through the Cuban Missile Crisis (or only heard about it in history class). It's very well written and the characters are written in such a way that they seemed very familiar.
This book has put me on the path to accepting myself 100% as I am. My copy of Messy Brilliance is highlighted and flagged and written on! There is nothing wrong with not being perfect, and it's totally acceptable to embrace the messiness of your life – you haven't lost the baby weight, you didn't put on makeup today, you're exhausted, your house isn't up to some crazy standards that has unrealistic and unattainable – it's ok, it's more than ok. Your Messy Brilliance by Kelly McNelis will take you on a journey to learn to recognize and embrace every aspect of YOU, and let go of the belief that you have to be perfect all of the time in order to be acceptable. Kelly shares her own traumas and disappointments and insights to guide you through exploring your own imperfections and embracing them as brilliant!
One of the things I love about this book is that there are questions that Kelly encourages you to think about and answer in a personal journal to help you really explore the parts of yourself that you keep hidden from the world, and possibly also hidden from yourself. These questions aren't easy to answer and they will make you uncomfortable, but I do fully believe that they are very important in helping me let go of this idea that I have to be perfect – the perfect daughter, perfect partner, perfect mother – all of the time, and that all of my imperfections are just as important a part of me as the perceived perfect/acceptable parts.
I will return to this book multiple times when I need to be reminded that my messy life is ok, and even brilliant.
I was first introduced to this book when I was going through my “quarter-life crisis”. I was nearing my 25th birthday and beginning to feel like I had become a failure. I hadn't really achieved any of the goals I had set for myself when I was 16 and was beginning to think I never would. A dear friend who I referred to as my “work dad” gave it to me so that I wouldn't feel so hopeless. I think I wore out the binding.
It's been awhile since I read it, but the basic message is that you mean something to someone and you are something to someone. It's something that I think we all forget from time to time: that no matter how unimportant or miniscule we might feel, there is someone out there who thinks the world of us.
I received a galley of this book from the publisher. I found this book very enjoyable and the characters likeable. The characters are all on their own journeys of grief and work through that grief in many ways, sometimes humorous and sometimes heartbreaking. This was an enjoyable read.
After This is a story about the Keane family and the years that this family struggles and grows through. It starts with the day Mary meets John, then moves to their lives with small children. As the book progresses, the reader “watches” the 4 children: Jacob, Michael, Annie and Claire, grow into the adults they are destined to become. It's an interesting look at the lives of people who live through wars and protests.
That being said, I just didn't like the way the story was written. I felt like there was no transition from one year to another. There were several times where on one page, the 4 Keane children would go from youngsters (under the age of 10) to adults/teens. I had a difficult time knowing what year it was and figuring out how old the children were.
The book sounded so very interesting when I picked it up and I was excited to read it, but by the time I was halfway through it, I was bored and no longer cared about the characters. This book did not hold my interest and it took a lot of effort to finish it. My interest was peaked again when the youngest child, Claire, became a teen bride but then the book ended abrupty. I felt like I was “jipped” on the outcome of Claire's life. I knew the outcome of the other three children and wanted to know more about Claire.
I'm left handed! I love being left handed. All my life I had been teased by the kids on the playground because I wrote with the “wrong” hand. Well, I happened upon this book while in college and just roared with laughter. This book has a lot of interesting little factoids about left-handed people and famous left-handers. It's good for a laugh and reads really quickly. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants a good laugh, any right-handed parent raising a left-handed child and any southpaw who is damn proud to be LEFT-HANDED :)
Slamming Open the Door is a collection of poems written in the aftermath of the murder of the author's daughter. I found these poems powerful and moving. Kathleen Sheeder Bonanno puts into words all of the feelings she has surrounding the heartache of losing a child. I was moved by this collection. I would recommend this book to anyone.
I read this book in lit class sophomore year of college and was immediate drawn into the story by Sethe and Denver, and the loss that surrounded their lives. [b:Toni Morrison 6149 Beloved Toni Morrison http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165555299s/6149.jpg 736076] is an incredible story-teller, and this work definitely showcases her talent. After reading the book, I read an interview with Ms. Morrison, where she said she got the idea from an article she found while doing research in library archives. There was a small “blurb” about a runaway slave who killed her children in order to prevent her owner from taking her and the children back to the plantation. I was very impressed that Morrison was able to take a 10 sentence article and develop it into a gripping ghost story.
I have to say I really loved this book. There are moments that made me laugh and moments that made me sad. I am glad I read this and I am looking forward to reading more by Raymond Atkins.
I received a free advanced e-galley of this book from the Penguin First to Read program and did not receive any compensation for the below review.
Sonja Yoerg presents a tale about a journey a couple takes, both physically, emotionally and mentally, along the John Muir trail. The couple, Liz and Dante, face heavy decisions about their relationship as well as the long trek along the trail, while encountering other hikers of varied and interesting backgrounds. This story is as much about one person's quest to work through deeply personal experiences, as well as a fight for survival in more ways than one.
As Liz and Dante travel along the trail, enduring its various valleys and peaks, they encounter, and become suspicious of, two brothers by the last name of Root, who seem, at first, ill prepared for the demand of the trail, yet also a bit too comfortable. Strange things begin to happen along the trail, as Liz and Dante continue to travel forward, with the Roots on their heels. Liz and Dante are working through very large issues within their own relationship, dealing with the pain of honesty and heartbreak, while also fighting to stay one step ahead of the Roots, who seem determined to make this hike more adventurous than it should be.
I enjoyed reading this book and want to read it again! Liz's story is very compelling, and her desire to walk the entire trail has deep meaning for her. She's a very likeable character with just the right amount of flaws. Dante is also very likeable and flawed, but the love they have for another seems to help them make the trek as well as forgive each other, and themselves, for breakdowns in the relationship. The addition of the Root brothers created just enough suspense to make the hair on my arms stand up and I found myself pushing Liz and Dante along, hoping they'd remain out of the path of the Roots, two men who were suspicious at first glance, and then downright dangerous.
I would recommend this book to fans of both suspense as well as travel. Hiking the John Muir trail is a big part of the background in this story, this trail is where a lot of deep thinking and whole-hearted confessions are made, and it's where Liz and Dante heal. This is a story about love, forgiveness, suspense, a little murder and some heartpounding adventure.
I just finished this book and it was very enjoyable. The story is told from the point of view of 10 year old Sally. She is the middle child of three girls: Nell (the oldest), Sally, and Troo (the youngest). Troo and Sally are only a year apart and it is Sally's duty to protect her.
The year is 1959 and Sally is trying very hard to live up to the promise she made to her dying father: take care of Troo (whose real name is Margaret but nicknamed Real Trooper, Troo for short) and tell her mother that dad forgives her. She doesn't know what her father forgives her mother for, but she has every intent to make sure her mother knows.
The summer of 1959 a killer is loose in the usually safe neighborhood in Missouri. Two girls have been found molested and murdered and there are no leads. Sally is pretty certain she knows who the killer is and that she is the next victim. Sally is going to try her hardest to make sure nothing happens to herself and Troo, while also trying to deal with a busy older sister and a very sick mother. She is determined to get the killer before the killer gets her.
I thought Troo had a mouth that would make a sailor blush, which I found a bit unrealistic for a child who is a few months away from her 10th birthday in 1959 (2007 sure, but not 1959). With that being said, I really loved Troo and Sally. These two girls are all they have. Their mother is in the hospital, sick with a staph infection (that she got at the hospital after gall bladder surgery). Their older sister Nell is too busy to ensure their proper care (feeding, bathing, usual child care needs); she's busy with her new boyfriend Eddie and her future as a hairdresser. So, it is just the two girls. They stick together, gathering information from neighborhood kids and adults about the murders, as well as popping in at a few households for dinner once Nell stops buying groceries. Sometimes Sally's train of thought jumped its track, but I think that's what I liked about her. She was very focused on taking care of Troo, praying for her mother, and trying to convince one of the adults she trusted that she knew who the killer was, and it was all very difficult for her. I think any child would have a hard time trying to be that responsible while also trying to be a child. Sally was my favorite character.
This a first book for Lesley Kagen, and I am looking forward to reading more from her.
I came across this book while wandering around a local Borders store. I like to check out the books on the table displays and usually at least 1 or 2 books jump up at me and beg me to give them a good home. This was one of those books.
I didn't realize when I picked it up that it is considered Young Adult literature, and it's been quite awhile since I've read anything in that category. I was drawn to this book because of the cover design on the front and back.
“Cathy's Book” is about teen who is on a mission to find out information about her ex-boyfriend and the work he does. The story takes place in San Francisco. She enlists the help of her friend Emma, who reluctantly helps her analyze the information she finds. Cathy engages in all kinds of activity to get information on Victor, including breaking into his home, following him into China Town, and breaking into his lab at the company he works at.
I really liked the character Cathy, and thought she was well developed. There was a level of teen angst to her but it wasn't overdone and it wasn't annoying. I thought she was incredibly inventive in the ways in which she went about obtaining information about Victor and I thought the book was amusing. I'm actually looking forward to reading the sequel, Cathy's Key. Each page of the book has drawings and doodles, which were really nice to look at and it was fun following Cathy as she gathered her information. I would recommend this book to anyone who was just looking for a little escape and little laugh.
This will be a short review as I am still processing this book. I enjoyed the overall story but was not expecting the way the narrator told it. It is written as one long letter to Osama Bin Laden after a massive suicide bombing at a football match in London. The narrator is a wife and mother, but we are never told her name. She doesn't use basic grammar and punctuation during the majority of her writing, and yet the story flows. She writes this letter as a way to tell Osama just how much he has changed her life and all of the various things she does in the days and months after the bombined. She is a wreck. She is lost. Ultimately, I think her grief is so overwhelming and consumes her so thoroughly that she almost commits her own act of violence. I have to say, the way the story is written/told, I almost put the book down after about 30 pages and walked away. I couldn't quite grasp the narrator's voice, but as I made my way through it, I finally “heard” her telling this story. I don't know if I would really recommend this book to others though, I think the way it's written could be a turnoff for many readers. I am currently reading Little Bee, by this same author, and that is what led to me reading this book. In the end, I am glad I read it, the emotion was very raw and real in my opinion.
I recently decided to reread this book. It had been awhile since I read it and I couldn't remember much about it. I'm sorry I reread it. Originally, I gave it 4 stars but now am downgrading it to 2 stars. This is a downer book. It is well written but I found it depressing. It's probably the “right” book for some people, but it is definitely the wrong book for me.
I really enjoyed this book, although its subject matter sent a lot of uncomfortable chills down my spine. In The Devil's Closet, Detective CeeCee Gallagher is involved in the search for a kidnapper and murderer. The victims are young girls between the ages of 6 and 8, and none of them are found alive. CeeCee finds herself butting heads with the FBI, dealing with marital problems and up against a ticking clock.
I have always been bothered by the violence adults inflict upon children, especially when it comes to sexual violence. This is a novel about sexual violence against children in it, and if you are the type of person who turns green at thought of it, you might not want to read this book. There is no graphic violence, it is all hinted at in discussions between the characters, but the reader knows what is happening to the victims without needing to actually be given a blow by blow report. CeeCee Gallagher is police officer and mother of two young daughters, and her anger towards the murderer I felt was very justified. In my job, working for the legal system, I hear a lot of things I wish I didn't and I am always outraged when I hear about a sex crime committed on a child, so I appreciated CeeCee's anger.
This book is the first in the CeeCee Gallagher series and I am looking forward to reading more of them. There is a lot of tension in this book and CeeCee has to deal with an overloaded plate of issues, but her main focus is always on the case and finding each missing girl. There are times when her bullheadedness results in a later realization that she misjudged something or someone and she does admit when she was wrong.
I always enjoy reading the Author's Note at the end of books, as it leaves me with a bit of insight into what drove the author to write a particular story. Stacy Dittrich includes an Author's Note at the end of this book, explaining that this story was inspired by a criminal investigation she was involved in, about a child rapist/murderer who she nicknamed The Doll Man. Reading her “note” made me a little more uncomfortable with the story, but it also made me appreciate this novel all that much more. I know there are men (and women) out there like The Doll Man, they walk among us and the majority of us have no idea, but I still find it upsetting and disturbing that there are people out there who wish to do harm to young children.
This book was offered as a free e-book from Barnes & Noble and that's how I received it. I have since added the CeeCee Gallagher series to my “wishlist” as I do want to continue to read about the adventures of CeeCee. Stacy Dittrich has a new fan. I'd recommend this book to fans of Tess Gerritsen and Patricia Cornwell.
Kate Chenery Tweedy is a member of my church and I met her back in April 2009. It wasn't until March/April 2010 that I discovered her mother was the owner of the famed horse, Secretariat. Kate gave a wonderful speech and photo presentation to a large audience at the Bemis Public Library in Littleton, Colorado several months ago as a preview to the release of this book. At that presentation, many of us were amazed at the strength and conviction the Penny Chenery had when it came to saving her family's home, The Meadow, as well as her father's numerous horses (which included Something Royal, the mother of Secretariat).
Secretariat is a name that I have heard all of my life, my grandfather and mother both were fans of the horse and both watched him win the Triple Crown. When Barbaro raced the Kentucky Derby, my mother referenced Secretariat as she spoke about Barbaro's beauty, strength and speed. I have always been a fan of Secretariat without truly knowing what it was about him that drew me to him. I was very excited when Kate informed us that she had written a book about her family and what led to her mother becoming the owner/breeder of Secretariat.
I read this book in one day. Kate, I think, did a very thorough job of researching her family history back to her great-grandfather (and beyond in some chapters) and how her grandfather, Christopher Chenery, came to be the proud ownder of The Meadow and several well-bred horses. This book focuses more on the Chenery family more than on Secretariat, but I do feel a lot of justice was done in regards to Penny Chenery and how she came to be the one to take over the Meadow and race Secretariat. Kate and Leeann tell a very clear story about the history of The Meadow, and how it survived (and thrived) through both good times and bad. The book is filled with pictures of her ancestors as well as the staff who worked with Secretariat in 1970-73. I recently told Kate how much I enjoyed reading her book and learning so much about her own history. She said it was an insightful journey for her and she really enjoyed being able to tell the story of the people and the land that bred this amazing Triple Crown winner, Secretariat.
Reviewer Note: The author provided me with a free copy of this book for an honest review. I did not receive any financial compensation for writing and/or posting this review. This review may contain spoilers.
Who wouldn't want to reverse time and go back to a period when they were younger, thinner, better looking? If it just came in a pill or tiny bottle, would you take it? No surgery, no diets, just a simple swig from a bottle and “POOF”, you're suddenly ten years younger – would you take that drink? If you did take the drink, what would your life be like? Those questions are answered for Mr. Thomas Elder, husband and father, in the book Younger Every Day by Rob Santana.
Tom, father of two, feels his age the day he turns 50, when he collapses in his home from a heart attack. He feels old and out of touch with his own family. His daughter, Penny, is angry most of the time and his son, Mark, spends the majority of his time playing video games. His wife, Kim, is fourteen years his junior and still beautiful. He feels his life is going nowhere and wants a change. That change comes when he meets a man who offers him the fountain of youth in a tiny bottle. All he has to do is drink the first liquid, then return in a few days to be restored to his actual age with a second liquid (if he wants).
Things get interesting as he grows younger, first explaining to his very shocked wife about the youth elixer, then posing as a cousin that the children didn't know existed (since their father is an only child). Kim and Tom create a story, a fairly convincing one, to explain how it is that Tom has a nephew that no one had heard of. Then, as a young boy of 12, then a young child of 5, and eventually an infant. Each age regression occurs after Tom loses consciousness, whether it's by falling asleep or passing out, and eventually his children have to be let in on what is happening, as Kim attempts to find a cure that will reverse her Tom's aging. With each regression, Tom learns a little bit more about his children and what their lives are like since they rarely share things with their parents. As he grows younger, he attempts to hold onto his authority as their father, which becomes harder and harder to do. His transformation also impacts Mark and Penny. Mark finds someone to play video games with and care for. Penny, on the other hand, becomes more rebellious, attending parties with the proverbial bad boy and taking her mother's car on an anger fueled drive.
I was intrigued by the relationship between Kim and Tom. Kim comes very close to cheating on Tom at one point, but backs out at the last minute. She was very young when she married Tom, all of 18, and I think there is a part of her that felt the age difference when he suffered his heart attack. Yet, as Tom begins to grow younger, Kim's love for him shines brighter. She is genuinely concerned about the reversal and she genuinely wants him back to his actual age, his current self. As I read the story, I wanted even more about Tom and Kim and the ins and outs of their relationship. I really liked the flashback story on how they met quite a bit. I felt that the children, especially Penny, were a distraction. I didn't really care for Penny and her actions throughout the story. I did develop a bit more sympathy for Mark as the story proceeded forward and Tom reversed in age, it seemed like the younger Tom got the more Mark grew, which I liked seeing. I did not see growth from Penny in the same way, at least not for a significant part of the book. Sometimes, not all characters are going to be favorites, and Penny is definitely not my favorite. That being said, I was hopeful for this family, hopeful that the reverse aging would be cured, hopeful that the relationships between husband/wife, mother/daughter, son/father, and father/daughter would be healed, that an important lesson would be learned by all (including the reader). While I didn't like the ending (it made me sad), I appreciated it because it made sense to me. I think we all flirt with the idea of growing younger, instead of older, but there's always going to be consequences for messing with a natural process and that is what I think this book explored very well.
My sincerest thanks to the author, Mr. Rob Santana, for the opportunity to read this book!
Love, love, love this series! Katniss rocks! I will take her over Bella any day of the week (my apologies to the Twilight fans, but Katniss is SO much better a heroine than Bella). I'm getting ready to begin Book 3 Mockingjay. Not longer forward for this ride to be over!
I loved this book! I don't have very many teen heroes/heroines, but I do read a lot of YA/teen novels. I'm a big Harry Potter fan and have always been fond of Hermione Granger and finally I have been introduced to Katniss Everdeen! If only Katniss had been around when I was a teen (1990-1994) but I'm glad she's around now. Now...time for Catching Fire!
I've had this book on my Nook for quite awhile and am finally getting around to reading it. It was free through Barnes and Noble and I downloaded exactly for that reason – FREE! So far, I'm enjoying it a lot more than I initially thought I would. Currently on page 474 of 636 and I find that I'm actually interested in what the characters are going to do next. We'll see how it goes once I finish.
Update: Well, I finished this book and was pleasantly surprised by it. I enjoyed the ending and was glad the book ended the way it did.
Wonderful story about family, love, and finding yourself
Tig is a therapist whose one bad day grows into a series of sad and heartbreaking experiences. As the “responsible” one, she takes care of everyone, except herself. Then, life takes an interesting, twisted path and Tig is a fish out of water, unsure but fighting to maintain her sense of responsibility.
I really loved Tig! She is a strong, resilient, deserving of all the good things kind of woman, but like many of us, she's so busy taking care of everyone else to really care for herself. She ends up on a journey that ends with her finally figuring out what she deserves.
This was a heartwarming story. The characters were flawed, but still very human. I liked that no one was perfect. There was a lot of loss in this story, but also forgiveness and joy. It was a good balance.
*Reviewer's note: I received a free e-galley of this book and did not receive any compensation for the review. I want to thank Ann Garvin for letting me read this, I loved it 😊
I completely disliked Kimberly Steele. I think I would have given this book higher stars if Kimberly had just stayed home and let the private investigators do their job. She was annoying and took away from how much fun Agnes and Eleanor were. Also, I found it a bit concerning that Kimberly had no idea how far along in her pregnancy she was, mainly because she hadn't been to a doctor. I went to every one of my doctor appointments when I was pregnant and asked every possible question I could think of, just to make sure I knew what was going on with my unborn child. I don't think I'll be reading any other books that have Kimberly in them, but I would like to read some of the books that have Agnes and Eleanor in them.