Book Review: Just Between Us By Rebecca Drake

JUST BETWEEN US
A Novel

By: Rebecca Drake

Published: January 9, 2018

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Fiction/Suspense/Thriller



I think what makes suspense novels such a thrilling read is when you can picture yourself in the story. Four suburban moms who meet every morning and afternoon at the bus stop become quick friends. Even though their backgrounds are a bit different, they soon become dependent on the friendship and support that each one offers. Julie, a high-profile realtor, and Sarah become friends first. Then Alison moves in. Even though she keeps her past a secret, she soon becomes friends with Julie and Sarah but always feels like the third wheel. Then Heather, a former model and wife of a plastic surgeon, seems like the perfect addition to their group. Soon their lives become intertwined and three of the friends begin to suspect that one of their friends is being abused by her husband. When they finally confront her, the ripple effects of that revelation result in a murder and a downward spiral that none of them would have expected. 

Some of my closest friends are moms that I met because our children have been going to school together since preschool. While reading this book, I could picture myself being wrapped up in the care and concern of a friend being abused. But, would I have gone to the lengths that these women did to protect her? I can't say, but it did make for a thrilling page-turner. 

The novel is told from the perspective of each of the women. In each chapter one woman shares just enough of their past, as well as their regrets regarding the decision they all made, to keep the reader guessing as to what that horrifying choice was that forever changed their lives. I appreciated that the top of each page-spread had the character's name since especially in the beginning, it was tricky to keep all the women straight. Even though parts of the plot are predictable, the author adds in just enough surprises and twists to keep the reader interested. Although some of the particulars made have felt a bit far-fetched and I had to keep reminding myself to overlook the details, I still became enthralled with the story. Once the twist is revealed, I did find some of the material a bit graphic, but I easily skimmed the details and moved on to the next chapter as I got the gist of what happened. 

Fans of suspense novels and a bit of the unreliable narrator will be intrigued by the secrets each of the characters are hiding from their friends. Once doubt creeps into the minds of the women, the fear of what's to come grows among the pages. I believe that most of us feel like we would never be able to commit such a horrific crime, but that line that separates us from those who have committed a crime becomes blurred very quickly. You really have no idea what you would do if you were thrown into a situation of protecting your best friend. 

Drake's fast-paced novel shares the lengths that women would go to protect their friends and their families, how secrets can creep into the psyche and affect the ways we interact with others, and the shame we feel when everything begins to fall apart. 

Rebecca Drake - source

Rebecca Drake is the author of the novels Don’t Be Afraid, The Next Killing, The Dead Place, which was an IMBA bestseller, and Only Ever You, as well as the short story “Loaded,” which was featured in Pittsburgh Noir. A graduate of Penn State University and former journalist, she is currently an instructor in Seton Hill University’s Writing Popular Fiction M.F.A. program. Rebecca lives in Pittsburgh, PA, with her husband and two children.

Website: https://www.rebeccadrake.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rebecca.drake.writer/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorRDrake

To purchase a copy of JUST BETWEEN US, click the photo below:

Thanks to the publisher for sending a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. This review is my honest opinion. If you choose to purchase the book through the above links, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase. Thanks for supporting SincerelyStacie.com. 

Books That Came in September 2017

Last week was crazy with it being Homecoming week. But it was so much fun! Our son Patrick was crowned Homecoming King which has been so wonderful. We are so proud of him.

I'm in my second of a thirteen-week long-term sub. I'm still getting into my groove of this new routine and struggling with finding time to read when our nights and weekends are also so busy. I do have a few good books to share this month that I am really anxious to read.

Today is also my 45th birthday and one of the books I'm sharing below was my gift to myself. I'm so blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life. My husband and children, my parents and extended family, and my closest friends make life absolutely wonderful. I am thankful for all of you as well that allow me to share my love of reading with you. Books truly bring me joy and I hope that I have shared a bit of that joy with each of you.

Currently Reading: OEDIPUS REX (with students), OF MICE AND MEN (with students), BENEATH A SCARLET SKY
Currently Listening: A MAN CALLED OVE
STILL Reading: HOW TO MANAGE YOUR HOME WITHOUT LOSING YOUR MIND, GRACE, NOT PERFECTION
Up Next: I can't even say because these are going to take me awhile to get through now.

If you would like to purchase any of the books in this post, clicking the photo or title of the book will take you directly to Amazon. If you choose to purchase the book I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase. Thanks for supporting me.

THE BEST DAY EVER
By: Kaira Rouda
Published: September 19, 2017
Publisher: Graydon House
Format: Paperback

I previously read and reviewed Rouda's book IN THE MIRROR back in 2014. Her newest is a completely different type of book and it is already getting a lot of buzz. It reminds me of the book BEHIND CLOSED DOORS which I read almost straight through.

I glance at my wife as she climbs into the passenger seat, and I am bursting with confidence. Today will be everything I’ve promised her…and more…

Paul Strom has the perfect life: a glittering career as an advertising executive, a beautiful wife, two healthy boys and a big house in a wealthy suburb. And he’s the perfect husband: breadwinner, protector, provider. That’s why he’s planned a romantic weekend for his wife, Mia, at their lake house, just the two of them. And he's promised today will be the best day ever.

But as Paul and Mia drive out of the city and toward the countryside, a spike of tension begins to wedge itself between them and doubts start to arise. How much do they trust each other? And how perfect is their marriage, or any marriage, really? 




MONSTERLAND
By: Michael Okon
Published: October 13, 2017
Publisher: WordFire Press
Format: Paperback

Not my kind of read. I haven't ever read about monsters or zombies. But, maybe one of you would be interested. If you'd like my comment, leave me a comment and I'll send it to you!

Welcome to Monsterland, the scariest place on earth.

When world markets are decimated by a crippling plague, philanthropist, and billionaire businessman, Vincent Konrad decides to place monsters in a theme park setting to promote education and tolerance. Copper Valley is chosen as the primary site for the park in the United States. 

Wyatt Baldwin, a high school senior is dying to go to the opening and when he lands special passes to the park, he and his friends are expecting the experience of a lifetime. 
After all, in a theme park where real zombies, werewolves, and vampires are the main attractions, what could possibly go wrong?






PRAYING THE SCRIPTURES FOR YOUR TEENS
Discover How to Pray God's Purpose for Their Lives
By: Jodie Berndt
Published: August 12, 2007
Publisher: Zondervan
Format: Paperback

I purchased this book to help guide some of my prayers for our kids. With Patrick just being months away from leaving for college, I'm struggling with my emotions and fears for him. The best play to go to help with that....God.

It’s never been tougher to be a teenager—or the parent of one. Thankfully, from your teen’s first date to the next time he or she borrows the car keys, you can take your concerns to God through prayer.Drawing on God’s Word, Praying the Scriptures for Your Teenager offers palpable help to pray about the stormy issues your teen faces:Relationships Depression Rejection Sexuality Eating disorders … and much more.This book also guides you in praying about everything from your teen’s character and safety to the purposes and plans that God has for his or her life. Filled with historical, biblical, and contemporary illustrations, Praying the Scriptures for Your Teenager shows how to make the Bible your source for prayers that can powerfully influence your teen’s life.With humor and a warm, personal style, author Jodie Berndt encourages you that, in this sometimes daunting new world, “when you pray the Scriptures, you tap into the same power that has kept teenagers safe for generations.”






THOSE WHO SAVE US
By: Jenna Blum
Published: May 2, 2005
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Format: eBook

This has been on my list for a long time and when it came up as a Kindle Deal, I snagged it. I fell in love with Blum's writing in GRAND CENTRAL.

For fifty years, Anna Schlemmer has refused to talk about her life in Germany during World War II. Her daughter, Trudy, was only three when she and her mother were liberated by an American soldier and went to live with him in Minnesota. Trudy's sole evidence of the past is an old photograph: a family portrait showing Anna, Trudy, and a Nazi officer, the Obersturmfuhrer of Buchenwald.

Driven by the guilt of her heritage, Trudy, now a professor of German history begins investigating the past and finally unearths the dramatic and heartbreaking truth of her mother's life.

THE HAPPINESS PROJECT ONE SENTENCE JOURNAL
A Five-Year Record
By: Gretchen Rubin
Published: November 1, 2011
Publisher: Potter Style
Format: Hardcover

I've been wanting this journal for awhile and I decided it would be my birthday present to myself. I am letting go of my "Type A" tendency and starting it on the day I received it. This journal will take me through the rest of my 40's and I am hoping for 5 solid years of happiness to read through. It's a way to chronicle all those happy moments I have with our kids. In five years, Reagan will be a senior and the boys will be done with college. I can't even fathom that. I can find time to write one sentence and remember one moment of happiness from my day. I'm super excited to keep this going.

365 days. 5 years. 1,825 happy moments. The Happiness Project One-Sentence Journal for Mothers is the ideal project for moms who want to capture the everyday moments of their child's growth but are naturally short on time.

Based on the book, Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin, this five-year journal will help you make a time capsule of your family's growth in the simplest way possible. You can start at any point in the year. Simply turn to today's date, and take a few moments to think about the quote or question on the top of the page. Jot down your thoughts and perhaps a note or reflection about your child. As the years go by you'll notice how your children evolve and discover the aspects about your family that lead to lasting happiness. The quotes are interesting, funny, and always thought-provoking. The diary can be started on any day of the year but makes a terrific gift for the New Year or Mother's Day. 

THE UNQUIET GRAVE
A Novel
By: Sharyn McCrumb
Published: September 12, 2017
Publisher: Atria Books
Format: Hardcover

This was part of my Page Habit subscription this month. Along with the book came a collection of short stories, a coaster, a Time Traveler patch, and a bookmark with the quote, "The love of books is a love which requires neither justification, apology, nor defense." J.R. Langford

When I first looked at the book that was sent, I thought maybe I had gotten sent the mystery shipment and not historical fiction. But then reading the synopsis, I noticed it's a bit of both mystery and history and it's based on a true story, which is even better!

From New York Times bestselling author Sharyn McCrumb comes a finely wrought novel set in nineteenth-century West Virginia, based on the true story of one of the strangest murder trials in American history—the case of the Greenbrier Ghost.

Lakin, West Virginia, 1930
Following a suicide attempt and consigned to a segregated insane asylum, attorney James P. D. Gardner finds himself under the care of Dr. James Boozer. Fresh out of medical school, Dr. Boozer is eager to try the new talking cure for insanity, and encourages his elderly patient to reminisce about his experiences as the first black attorney to practice law in nineteenth-century West Virginia. Gardner's most memorable case was the one in which he helped to defend a white man on trial for the murder of his young bride—a case that the prosecution based on the testimony of a ghost.

Greenbrier, West Virginia, 1897
Beautiful, willful Zona Heaster has always lived in the mountains of West Virginia. Despite her mother’s misgivings, Zona marries Erasmus Trout Shue, the handsome blacksmith who has recently come to Greenbrier County. After weeks of silence from the newlyweds, riders come to the Heasters’ place to tell them that Zona has died from a fall, attributed to a recent illness. Mary Jane is determined to get justice for her daughter. A month after the funeral, she informs the county prosecutor that Zona’s ghost appeared to her, saying that she had been murdered. An autopsy, ordered by the reluctant prosecutor, confirms her claim.






MY LIFE WITH BOB
Flawed Heroine Keeps Book of Books, Plot Ensues
By: Pamela Paul
Published: May 2, 2017
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Format: Audiobook 

I have been wanting to read this and saw a few positive reviews for the audio version, read by the author, so I decided to use one of my credits for it. I can't resist a book about books.

Imagine keeping a record of every book you’ve ever read. What would this reading trajectory say about you? With passion, humor, and insight, the editor of The New York Times Book Review shares the stories that have shaped her life.

Pamela Paul has kept a single book by her side for twenty-eight years – carried throughout high school and college, hauled from Paris to London to Thailand, from job to job, safely packed away and then carefully removed from apartment to house to its current perch on a shelf over her desk – reliable if frayed, anonymous-looking yet deeply personal. This book has a name: Bob.

Bob is Paul’s Book of Books, a journal that records every book she’s ever read, from Sweet Valley High to Anna Karenina, from Catch-22 to Swimming to Cambodia, a journey in reading that reflects her inner life – her fantasies and hopes, her mistakes and missteps, her dreams and her ideas, both half-baked and wholehearted. Her life, in turn, influences the books she chooses, whether for solace or escape, information or sheer entertainment.But My Life with Bob isn’t really about those books. It’s about the deep and powerful relationship between book and reader. It’s about the way books provide each of us the perspective, courage, companionship, and imperfect self-knowledge to forge our own path. It’s about why we read what we read and how those choices make us who we are. It’s about how we make our own stories.  




REMEMBER THE LADIES
Ellis the Elephant
By: Callista Gingrich
Illustrated by: Susan Arciero
Published: October 10, 2017
Publisher: Regnery Kids
Format: Hardcover/Picture Book

This is the 7th book in the Ellis the Elephant series and I wish I had known about it sooner. I love the idea of this elephant learning and sharing about our great country with young children. Look for me to review this soon!

Ellis the Elephant is headed back to the White House! In Remember the Ladies, the seventh in Callista Gingrich's New York Times bestselling series, Ellis meets some of America's greatest first ladies and discovers their many contributions to American history.

In preceding books, including Sweet Land of Liberty, Land of the Pilgrims' Pride, Yankee Doodle Dandy, From Sea to Shining Sea, Christmas in America, and Hail to the Chief, Ellis learns about the pivotal moments that have shaped our nation. Now, in Remember the Ladies, this adorable pachyderm explores the fascinating lives of our first ladies.

Authored by Callista Gingrich and illustrated by Susan Arciero, Remember the Ladies will delight young and old alike with a look at the first ladies who helped make America an exceptional nation.




A SMART GIRL'S GUIDE: DRAMA, RUMORS, & SECRETS
Staying True to Yourself in Changing Times
By: Nancy Holyoke
Illustrated by: Brigette Barrager
Published: February 28, 2015
Publisher: American Girl
Format: Paperback

I purchased this for our daughter who is in middle school and already coming home with stories of drama and spats between friends. I expect this, especially in middle school. Ugh, I remember those days. I'm hoping this book will give her tools (me too) for how to respond to harsh words, how to support friends, and remove herself from the drama. I've purchased other books in this American Girl series and have been quite pleased.

Watch out for the drama trap! This book offers expert insight into drama, from jealousy to gossip to cyber-bullying, and how to deal with it. You'll learn why drama exists, how it starts, what keeps it going, and how to cool it down. You'll find quotes and advice from real girls like you, plus tips and quizzes to help you rise above the drama game and keep yourself safe.






SPACE BOY AND THE SNOW MONSTER
By: Dian Curtis Regan
Illustrated by: Robert Neubecker
Published: October 10, 2017
Publisher: Boyds Mills Press
Format: Hardcover/Picture Book

I'm not ready to think about snow or Christmas yet, but those books are starting to roll in. I previously reviewed SPACE BOY AND HIS DOG a couple years ago. This is another addition to that series.

In this third book in the Space Boy trilogy, Niko and his trusty dog, Tag, blast off on another outer-space adventure, when suddenly Niko's robot copilot is captured by a snow monster (who looks an awful lot like Niko's annoying sister, Posh). When they reach Planet Ice, Tag is captured by the snow monster as well, leaving Niko to save them both. After defeating a killer bunny and the snow monster's army of snowmen, Niko and his crew race back to Planet Home, just in time for cocoa.

Illustrated in comic-book style and featuring easy-to-read text packed with humor, Space Boy and the Snow Monster is both a thrilling adventure and a celebration of the power of pretend play.






RONALDO
The Reindeer Flying Academy
By: Maxine Sylvester
Illustrated by: Maxine Sylvester
Published: December 16, 2015
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
Format: eBook

At just under 100 pages, this chapter book is the first in a series of adventures for Ronaldo the Reindeer with an additional two books in the series.

Ronaldo is the top flying cadet at the prestigious Reindeer Flying Academy. He dreams of getting his flying license, just like his hero, Vixen. In this first exciting chapter in the ‘Ronaldo’ series, our hero is faced with his toughest flying test ever – The Endurance Challenge!  Can Ronaldo triumph over mean bully, Dasher, and win the 'Golden Wings' medal? Spurred on by Rudi, his quirky, loyal best friend and with a belly full of his favorite carrot pancakes, Ronaldo takes on the challenge of his life! 

I'm linking up with THE DELIBERATE READER for her monthly feature NEW ON THE STACK. To see other bloggers new books from September, click HERE.

If you have read any of these books or read them after seeing them listed here, be sure to let me know your thoughts! Happy October reading!

Book Review: The Breakdown by B. A. Paris

THE BREAKDOWN

By: B.A. Paris

Published: July 18, 2017

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Fiction/Suspense/Mystery/Thriller




One of the most riveting thrillers I read last year was Paris's first novel, BEHIND CLOSED DOORS. It made my skin crawl and kept me turning the pages until I finished it. Her sophomore thriller, THE BREAKDOWN is just as creepy and mystifying, but maybe not quite as exciting.

Cass, a newly married teacher, who after celebrating the end of the school year, drives home during a heavy rain storm. Anxious to get home, she takes the shortcut through the woods, even though she knows it could be dangerous during the storm. Just miles from home, she comes upon a car pulled along side of the road. After some thought, Cass decides the person must be waiting for someone and chooses not to get out and investigate. The next morning, Cass learns that a woman was found, murdered, on the same stretch of road, right near their home. After Cass realizes she also knew the woman, her life is completely torn apart by her guilt at not stopping to help and her fear about whether the murderer is still out there and saw her that night.

Cass's mom has recently passed away from dementia and the stress of the murder has made Cass's own memory lapses more pronounced. She can't seem to keep anything straight and wonders if it is stress from the murder or if she too, is suffering from early on-set dementia like her mom.

Along with Cass, her husband Alex, her best friend Rachel and some other co-workers fill out the main characters in the story. The book chronicles the dates of July 17 through October 2 during the present day. Each chapter highlights the events of that day which mostly includes Cass's paranoia about the murder and her memory lapses. As the dates move along through the summer, I got a little bored with the repeated occurrences of Cass's fear and forgetfulness, Alex's concern and desperation, and Rachel's inability to be there for her best friend. The murderer is eluding the authorities and the reader begins to question every character and conversation, wondering who the murderer could be.

Finally, when you can't seem to stand it anymore and you just want to skip to the last page of the book, the author gives you a little twist and baits you to keep reading all the way to the end. There is a lot of build-up and the characters continue to throw you off. At one point, I even wondered if Cass, as the narrator could be considered as reliable due to her constant confusion. But, once the truth is revealed, you keep reading to make sure that the murderer is caught and revenge has taken place.

I still found this to be a good mystery that held my attention. I just found it a bit repetitive. Paris does, however, create scenes that the reader can feel the panic in the character's voice and actions. Readers will care about Cass and feel sorry for her when she is frantically looking for her car in the ramp or trying to remember why she ordered an item that arrives in the mail. They will sympathize with her fears knowing the murderer is still loose. Cass is likable and easy to root for, even if her struggles to function get annoying. Paris has a way of creating characters with flaws that we will still relate to, root for, and believe in. She also has a way of surprising you once the mystery is revealed. All qualities much needed in a good mystery novel.

B. A. Paris - source

B.A. Paris grew up in England but has spent most of her adult life in France. She has worked both in finance and as a teacher and has five daughters. Follow her on Twitter, HERE. 

To purchase a copy of THE BREAKDOWN, click the photo below:  




Thanks to the publisher for sending a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. This review is my honest opinion. If you choose to purchase the book through the above link, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase. Thanks for supporting SincerelyStacie.com

Book Review: I See You By Clare Mackintosh

I SEE YOU
A Novel

By: Clare Mackintosh

Published: February 21, 2017

Publisher: Berkley Books

Fiction/Mystery/Thriller/Suspense



I was sufficiently creeped out by this book, so much so that I didn't even want to read it. This merging of stalking with technology and media would make most of us question our daily routines.

Zoe Walker sees her face in a classified ad and knows she didn't place it there. She starts to wonder if she is seeing things and then notices other women in the ads during the following days. Only those women are now dead. Women in London are reporting things taken while on the tube, feeling like they are being followed, thinking people are in their homes, and then there are others who are raped or killed. Zoe finds a cop who will listen and the two of them are determined to find out who is behind this sick game before anyone else is hurt.

Zoe is a divorced mom of two adult children who live with her and Zoe's new boyfriend. They live next door to her best friend Melissa in London. Zoe takes the same tube to her job every day. She drops a coin in a musician's guitar case every morning. On her way home she stops by her friend Melissa's restaurant where her son also works. Her routine is easy to follow and predictable. So she is perfect for this twisted game that someone has created. She tries to ignore it until one day she is pushed in front of the tube and then a stranger pulls her to safety and tries to ask her on a date. Zoe realizes she is definitely part of this game and needs to have it stopped.

Unfortunately, this book moved pretty sluggishly for me. There was a lot of detail in the beginning about the various characters, Zoe's previous marriage, and the police case involving the other women from the ads. But, it just never went anywhere. The police kept ignoring Zoe's demands. Her family kept telling her that it was just a look-a-like in the ad and not her. The pacing was just too slow for me. When I am reading a suspense novel I want to be forced to turn the pages like mad because I want to know what is going to happen. With this one, I was just not interested and ended up skimming several chapters because it didn't seem to be necessary to the story. After a few chapters that feature women who have been followed, then the author slips in a page or two from the person behind the game. It's almost like a journal entry where the perpetrator is marking the women's moves and routines while mocking how easy they are to track. Those were the most creative and twisted parts of the story. It really showed the corrupt mind this person had to create this awful game and the author's ability to create an evil character.

As I eventually found out who was behind the crimes and the ads, I was pretty shocked and didn't see that person as being the one. But, then once it was revealed, the story seemed to be a bit unbelievable and rushed. There is another shocker on the very last page and left me with a feeling of dread. It was a disturbing novel to read and to end it in a way that left me feeling uneasy made me like the novel even less.

For readers who like a fast-paced thriller then this book isn't for you. But if you like books set in London or thrillers that keep you guessing with lots of side stories then you might like this one. Keep in mind the storyline can be disturbing for those who are sensitive towards violence against women.

Check out my review of Mackintosh's first book, I LET YOU GO.

Clare Mackintosh is an author, feature writer, and columnist. She has written for The Guardian, Sainsbury's Magazine, The Green Parent, and many other national publications, and is a columnist for Cotswold Life and Writing Magazine.

Clare spent twelve years in the police force, working on CID, in custody, and as a public order commander, and has drawn on her experiences for her books. For more on Mackintosh, check out her website, HERE. 

To purchase a copy of I SEE YOU, click the photo below:




Thanks to the publisher for sending a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. This review is my honest opinion. If you choose to purchase the book through the above link, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase. Thanks for supporting SincerelyStacie.com. 

New Books in February 2017

Every month I share a post about all the new books that came my way during the past month. You can be sure to see these posts at the beginning of every month.

I read nine books in February including three adult fiction, five children's non-fiction, and a children's fiction book. I am currently reading three books that I've been reading for a couple months. All three are non-fiction and I just read a chapter or two when I have a few minutes. One of them is on audio book so I listen when I am cleaning the house or driving. Since I just finished a fiction novel, as soon as I write the review then I can start a new fiction. To always see what I am currently reading, check out my Goodreads sidebar to the right.

Currently Reading: WHERE ARE THEY BURIED? HOW DID THEY DIE? , BREAD AND WINE , and WOMEN HEROES OF WORLD WAR I
Currently Listening: 365 THANK YOUS
Up Next: A BRIDGE ACROSS THE OCEAN

I'm so ready for Spring. We had a week of unseasonably warm weather and I think everyone in town was outside walking and the parks were full of kids. It was wonderful, but I know that we have a bit more cold weather to get through before Spring is officially here to stay. We even had thunderstorms and tornado warnings. We haven't had a snow day off from school all winter. I don't know if that has ever happened. 

I am super anxious to read several books in my stack and I've done pretty well at reading lately. But, since we are now in the 30ish days til Prom, my schedule is going to get messy. I'm excited to pull everything together for the prom-goers, but I am so ready for all this to be done! 

We are doing our first college visits with Patrick this month. YIKES! It's hard to even say those words. I am not ready to send him off. I'm cherishing each of these 400+ days until graduation. 

On that note, happy reading. If you would like to purchase any of the books below, clicking the photo of the book will take you directly to Amazon. If you choose to purchase the book I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase. Thanks for supporting me.

A BRIDGE ACROSS THE OCEAN
By: Susan Meissner
Published: March 14, 2017
Publisher: Berkley
Format: Paperback

I would choose this for the cover alone. It's so gorgeous. But, the author is also drawing me in. Her book, A FALL OF MARIGOLDS was a favorite of mine from 2014. 

February 1946. World War Two is over, but the recovery from the most intimate of its horrors has only just begun for Annaliese Lange, a German ballerina desperate to escape her past, and Simone Deveraux, the wronged daughter of a French Resistance spy.

Now the two women are joining hundreds of other European war brides aboard the renowned RMS Queen Mary to cross the Atlantic and be reunited with their American husbands. Their new lives in the United States brightly beckon until their tightly-held secrets are laid bare in their shared stateroom. When the voyage ends at New York Harbor, only one of them will disembark...

Present day. Facing a crossroads in her own life, Brette Caslake visits the famously haunted Queen Mary at the request of an old friend. What she finds will set her on a course to solve a seventy-year-old tragedy that will draw her into the heartaches and triumphs of the courageous war brides and will ultimately lead her to reconsider what she has to sacrifice to achieve her own deepest longings. 




I SEE YOU
By Clare Mackintosh
Published: February 21, 2017
Publisher: Berkley
Format: Paperback

I really liked Mackintosh's debut novel I LET YOU GO. She is extremely talented at keeping you guessing and I'm anxious to see if her sophomore novel is just as shocking. 

You do the same thing every day.

You know exactly where you're going.

You're not alone.

When Zoe Walker sees her photo in the classifieds section of a London newspaper, she is determined to find out why it's there. There's no explanation: just a website, a grainy image, and a phone number. She takes it home to her family, who are convinced it's just someone who looks like Zoe. But the next day the advert shows a photo of a different woman, and another the day after that.

Is it a mistake? A coincidence? Or is someone keeping track of every move they make?





MY LAST LAMENT
By: James William Brown
Published: April 4, 2017
Publisher: Berkley
Format: Paperback

I've read numerous stories about WWII, but never one about a Greek woman. 

A poignant and evocative novel of one Greek woman's story of her own and her nation's epic struggle in the aftermath of World War II.

Aliki is one of the last of her kind, a lamenter who mourns and celebrates the passing of life. She is part of an evolving Greece, one moving steadily away from its rural traditions. To capture the fading folk art of lamenting, an American researcher asks Aliki to record her laments, but in response, Aliki sings her own story...

It begins in a village in northeast Greece, where Aliki witnesses the occupying Nazi soldiers execute her father for stealing squash. Taken in by her friend Takis's mother, Aliki is joined by a Jewish refugee and her son, Stelios. When the village is torched and its people massacred, Aliki, Takis and Stelios are able to escape just as the war is ending.

Fleeing across the chaotic landscape of a post-war Greece, the three become a makeshift family. They are bound by friendship and grief but torn apart by betrayal, madness, and heartbreak.

Through Aliki's powerful voice, an unforgettable one that blends light and dark with wry humor, My Last Lament delivers a fitting eulogy to a way of life and provides a vivid portrait of a timeless Greek woman, whose story of love and loss is an eternal one.




THE ANNIE YEAR
A Novel
By: Stephanie Wilbur Ash
Published: October 11, 2016
Publisher: The Unnamed Press
Format: Paperback

This came in my Quarterly Literary Box. I've never heard of the author or the book. Reading it makes me wonder if I will like it. Sounds a little too twisted to me. 

Tall, trusted Tandy Caide, CPA, is a long-time patron of the arts in her town, which is why you will find her sitting in the front row of the high school’s annual musical production. This year is an Annie year—and it would be no different than other years were it not for the high school’s hiring of a new vocational agriculture (Vo-Ag) teacher. With his beguiling ponytail and decorative beaded belt, Kenny catches Tandy’s eye immediately. Ignoring the fact of her slovenly husband—who takes most of his meals in their hot tub—Tandy decides to entertain Kenny’s advances.

Trusted community pillar that she is, Tandy’s affair has instant repercussions. People are talking and her husband’s subsequent breakdown and check-in to a mental institution don't help. At her regular meeting with the Order of the Pessimists—comprised of her deceased father’s disgruntled and drunken best friends—she is asked to step down as treasurer. Not only that, but her old lover is keeping a secret somehow connected to the Vo-Ag teacher. And meth labs—fueled by the abundance of fertilizer present in the region—keep blowing up. Somehow, it is all connected to Tandy’s ex-best friend's daughter—the star of this year’s Annie. As Tandy pieces together the puzzle that has become her life, it becomes clear she must embark on a journey of self-discovery that might even include leaving town for good.




THE ARGONAUTS
By: Maggie Nelson
Published: January 26, 2016
Publisher: Graywolf Press
Format: Paperback

This came in my Quarterly Literary Box. I've never heard of this one either even those Amazon considers it a best-seller. The synopsis tells me it is not something I usually read and may just pass on this one.

Maggie Nelson's The Argonauts is a genre-bending memoir, a work of "autotheory" offering fresh, fierce, and timely thinking about desire, identity, and the limitations and possibilities of love and language. At its center is a romance: the story of the author's relationship with the artist Harry Dodge. This story, which includes Nelson's account of falling in love with Dodge, who is fluidly gendered, as well as her journey to and through a pregnancy, offers a firsthand account of the complexities and joys of (queer) family-making.

Writing in the spirit of public intellectuals such as Susan Sontag and Roland Barthes, Nelson binds her personal experience to a rigorous exploration of what iconic theorists have said about sexuality, gender, and the vexed institutions of marriage and child-rearing. Nelson's insistence on radical individual freedom and the value of caretaking becomes the rallying cry of this thoughtful, unabashed, uncompromising book. 




THE ANIMATORS
By: Kayla Rae Whitaker
Published: January 31, 2017
Publisher: Random House
Format: Hardcover

This came in my Quarterly Literary Box. I have heard of this one and was curious about it. So far it has received good reviews.

She was the first person to see me as I had always wanted to be seen. It was enough to indebt me to her forever. 

At a private East Coast college, two young women meet in art class. Sharon Kisses, quietly ambitious but self-doubting, arrives from rural Kentucky. Mel Vaught, brash, unapologetic, wildly gifted, brings her own brand of hellfire from the backwaters of Florida. Both outsiders, Sharon and Mel become fervent friends, bonding over underground comics and dysfunctional families. Working, absorbing, drinking. Drawing: Mel, to understand her own tumultuous past, and Sharon, to lose herself altogether.

A decade later, Sharon and Mel are an award-winning animation duo, and with the release of their first full-length feature, a fearless look at Mel's childhood, they stand at the cusp of success. But while on tour to promote the film, cracks in their relationship start to form: Sharon begins to feel like a tag-along and suspects that raucous Mel is the real artist. When unexpected tragedy strikes, long-buried resentments rise to the surface, threatening their partnership—and hastening a reckoning no one sees coming.




THE GARDEN OF SMALL BEGINNINGS
By: Abbi Waxman
Published: May 2, 2017
Publisher: Berkley
Format: eBook

I don't remember where I first heard about this one, but maybe THE FRONT PORCH PODCAST. Anyway, I immediately looked it up and asked for a copy. It doesn't publish for a bit yet, but I'm anxious to read it. Isn't the cover eye-catching?

Not since Good Grief has a book about a young widow been so poignant, funny, original, and utterly believable. A compelling debut novel about loss.

Give grief a chance . . .

Lilian Girvan has been a single mother for three years—ever since her husband died in a car accident. One mental breakdown and some random suicidal thoughts later, she’s just starting to get the hang of this widow thing. She can now get her two girls to school, show up to work, and watch TV like a pro. The only problem is she’s becoming overwhelmed with being underwhelmed.

At least her textbook illustrating job has some perks—like actually being called upon to draw whale genitalia. Oh, and there’s that vegetable-gardening class her boss signed her up for. Apparently being the chosen illustrator for a series of boutique vegetable guides means getting your hands dirty, literally. Wallowing around in compost on a Saturday morning can’t be much worse than wallowing around in pajamas and self-pity.

After recruiting her kids and insanely supportive sister to join her, Lilian shows up at the Los Angeles Botanical Garden feeling out of her element. But what she’ll soon discover—with the help of a patient instructor and a quirky group of gardeners—is that into every life a little sun must shine, whether you want it to or not.




OXYGEN
A Novel
By: Carol Cassella
Published: June 9, 2009
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Format: eBook

This was part of a Kindle deal and since it compared it to Jodi Picoult and Atul Gawande, I had to get it. 

With the compassion of Jodi Picoult and the medical realism of Atul Gawande, Oxygen is a riveting new novel by a real-life anesthesiologist, an intimate story of relationships and family that collides with a high-stakes medical drama. 

Dr. Marie Heaton is an anesthesiologist at the height of her profession. She has worked, lived and breathed her career since medical school, and she now practices at a top Seattle hospital. Marie has carefully constructed and constricted her life according to empirical truths, to the science and art of medicine. But when her tried-and-true formula suddenly deserts her during a routine surgery, she must explain the nightmarish operating room disaster and face the resulting malpractice suit. 

Marie's best friend, colleague, and former lover, Dr. Joe Hillary, becomes her closest confidante as she twists through depositions, accusations and a remorseful preoccupation with the mother of the patient in question. As she struggles to salvage her career and reputation, Marie must face hard truths about the path she's chosen, the bridges she's burned and the colleagues and superiors she's mistaken for friends.

A quieter crisis is simultaneously unfolding within Marie's family. Her aging father is losing his sight and approaching an awkward dependency on Marie and her sister, Lori. But Lori has taken a more traditional path than Marie and is busy raising a family. Although Marie has been estranged from her Texas roots for decades, the ultimate responsibility for their father's care is falling on her.

As her carefully structured life begins to collapse, Marie confronts questions of love and betrayal, family bonds and the price of her own choices. Set against the natural splendor of Seattle, and inside the closed vaults of hospital operating rooms, Oxygen climaxes in a final twist that is as heartrending as it is redeeming.




RULES OF CIVILITY
A Novel
By: Amor Towles
Published: June 26, 2012
Publisher: Penguin
Format: eBook

This has been on my radar for a long time. Since it was part of a Kindle deal, I snagged it.

On the last night of 1937, twenty-five-year-old Katey Kontent is in a second-rate Greenwich Village jazz bar with her boardinghouse roommate stretching three dollars as far as it will go when Tinker Grey, a handsome banker with royal blue eyes and a tempered smile, happens to sit at the neighboring table. This chance encounter and its startling consequences propel Katey on a yearlong journey from a Wall Street secretarial pool toward the upper echelons of New York society and the executive suites of Condé Nast--rarefied environs where she will have little to rely upon other than a bracing wit and her own brand of cool nerve. 

Wooed in turn by a shy, principled multi-millionaire and an irrepressible Upper East Side ne'er-do-well, befriended by a single-minded widow who is ahead of her time, and challenged by an imperious mentor, Katey experiences firsthand the poise secured by wealth and station and the failed aspirations that reside just below the surface. Even as she waits for circumstances to bring Tinker back into her life, she begins to realize how our most promising choices inevitably lay the groundwork for our regrets.


THE LIFE-CHANGING MAGIC OF TIDYING UP
By: Marie Kondo
Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller
Published: October 14, 2014
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Format: Audiobook

This was an Audible deal and I've been wanting to check it out. I'm sure that some of her tactics will be over-the-top for me, but I want to give it a listen.

Despite constant efforts to declutter your home, do papers still accumulate like snowdrifts and clothes pile up like a tangled mess of noodles?

Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo takes tidying to a whole new level, promising that if you properly simplify and organize your home once, you'll never have to do it again. Most methods advocate a room-by-room or little-by-little approach, which doom you to pick away at your piles of stuff forever. The KonMari Method, with its revolutionary category-by-category system, leads to lasting results. In fact, none of Kondo's clients have lapsed (and she still has a three-month waiting list).

With detailed guidance for determining which items in your house "spark joy" (and which don't), this international best seller featuring Tokyo's newest lifestyle phenomenon will help you clear your clutter and enjoy the unique magic of a tidy home - and the calm, motivated mindset it can inspire. 

ELLIE CAMPS UNDER THE STARS
The Amazing Adventures of Ellie the Elephant
By: Marci Fair and Elle Fair
Published: August 1, 2016
Publisher: Pacochel Press
Format: Paperback

This is the newest in the series and I've already reviewed it. You can see my thoughts, HERE.

Ellie the Elephant and Pudgy the Penguin have captivated readers in five previous books. The newest addition to the Amazing Adventures of Ellie the Elephant series follows the friends as they go camping and explore nature.

Ellie and Pudgy have fun planning their camping trip in the mountains and solving problems once they get there. They set up a tent, go for a hike, play games, make s'mores, and look at the stars. During their trip, Ellie and Pudgy talk about the importance of having new experiences and being mindful of their surroundings.

Marci and Elle Fair have written a charming story for every child with a cherished stuffed animal. Thirteen-year-old Elle knows what children like to read in a story and has helped create an unforgettable new journey for Ellie and Pudgy.

Included in the back of the book is a guide to help parents teach their young readers about the importance of appreciating and conserving the environment. Eco-conscious families will appreciate gentle suggestions about reducing their environmental impact and enjoying nature. 




DOLPHIN RESCUE
Animal Planet Adventures #1
By: Catherine Nichols
Published: February 14, 2017
Publisher: Animal Planet
Format: Hardcover

Just flipping through these two new Animal Planet books I can tell they are going to be a great new series for elementary readers. Fiction mixed with Fact is always a hit with me.

Siblings Maddie and Atticus love living by the sea. Their dad traps lobsters off the coast of Maine. They love helping with the family business and volunteering at the local aquarium. The summer is shaping up to be a super one, for sure. Then one day they spy a pod of dolphins in the cove looking distressed. How will the kids use their knowledge of animals and their awesome problem-solving skills to help the dolphin family get safely back to sea? Perfect for reluctant, challenged, and newly fluent readers, the Animal Planet Adventures chapter book series combines fun animal mysteries with cool nonfiction sidebars that relate directly to the stories, bringing the best of the animal world to young readers. 




FARM FRIENDS ESCAPE!
Animal Planet Adventures #2
By: Gail Herman
Published: February 14, 2017
Publisher: Animal Planet
Format: Hardcover

During summer vacations, cousins Luke and Sarah help out at their grandparents' petting zoo. But what happens when the animals get loose overnight? Can Luke and Sarah use their knowledge of animals and their awesome problem-solving skills to get the animals back to safety?Perfect for reluctant, challenged, and newly fluent readers, the Animal Planet Adventures chapter book series combines fun animal mysteries with cool nonfiction sidebars that relate directly to the stories, bringing the best of the animal world to young readers. With full-color illustrations and photographs throughout.

IF YOU WERE ME AND LIVED IN...THE ANCIENT MALI EMPIRE
By: Carole P. Roman
Illustrated by: Mateya Arkova
Published: December 13, 2016
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Format: Paperback

You know I love Roman's books. Looking at this one, I'm guaranteed to learn something as I know nothing about the Mali Empire.

Join Carole P. Roman as she travels back in time to visit the exciting Ancient Empire of Mali in Africa during the 1300s. Learn about the varied customs and cultures. Travel to the past to discover what you would eat and do for fun. See the land and its rich history through the eyes of a youngster like you. Don't forget to look at the other books in the series so that you can be an armchair time traveler.




IF YOU WERE ME AND LIVED ON...MARS
By: Carole P. Roman
Illustrated by: Mateya Arkova
Published: January 9, 2017
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Format: Paperback

Join Carole P. Roman when she blasts off to colonize the planet Mars, in the newest book of her informative series. Learn about how life would be living on the Red Planet. Travel to Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in the solar system. Look into the sky and watch Phobos and Deimos, Mars' two moons. Discover what you would wear, and how the seasons change. See Mars through the eyes of an adventurous youngster like you and understand what life is like on a trip of a lifetime. Don't forget to look at the other books in the series so that you can be an armchair traveler. 




MOTOR GIRLS
How Women Took the Wheel and Drove Boldly into the Twentieth Century
By: Sue Macy
Published: February 7, 2017
Publisher: National Geographic 
Format: Hardcover

I had no idea women had such a pivotal role in the early car business. I can't wait to find out more and share this book with all of you.

Come along for a joy ride in this enthralling tribute to the daring women - Motor Girls, as they were called at the turn of the century - who got behind the wheel of the first cars and paved the way for change. The automobile has always symbolized freedom, and in this book, we meet the first generation of female motorists who drove cars for fun, profit, and to make a statement about the evolving role of women. From the advent of the auto in the 1890s to the 1920s when the breaking down of barriers for women was in full swing, readers will be delighted to see historical photos, art, and artifacts and to discover the many ways these progressive females influenced fashion, the economy, politics, and the world around them.




DUCK AND HIPPO IN THE RAINSTORM
By: Jonathan London
Illustrated by: Andrew Joyner
Published: March 1, 2017
Publisher: Two Lions
Format: Hardcover

Our kids (and me too) loved the Froggy books and so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to check out this new series. I love the colors and illustrations. The second in the series is already scheduled to come out in August. I'll be sharing about this one soon!

Duck and Hippo may be completely different, but they are best friends. When playful Duck invites careful Hippo to go for a walk in the rain, they have trouble sharing Duck’s umbrella. But Duck and Hippo won’t let that stop them. Soon they are puddle-jumping and sailing down the river! Until…WHOOOSH! A terrible wind sends the umbrella flying up, up, up into the air, with one friend holding on. What will Duck and Hippo do now? Jonathan London’s charming text and Andrew Joyner’s delightful art bring to life two lovable friends in this fun new series.




MILLIE'S FEATHERED FOSTER FAMILY
By: Cathryn Wellner
Published: April 8, 2016
Publisher: Espoir Press
Format: Paperback

I'm a sucker for farm books and this author loaded me up with her series. Can't wait to check them out.

Millie the Mille Fleur hen can't have chicks of her own, but she is a loving foster mother. She accepts any orphaned baby chicken.

Then one day Farmer Cate rescues a turkey poult (baby turkey) who’s being pecked by the other turkeys. With no turkey foster mothers around, Farmer Cate has no choice but to try Millie. Will she accept such a different baby?

She puts the two of them together, holds her breath, and watches as Millie makes up her mind.

Based on a true story, Millie’s tale is for any child who has ever felt lonely or uncertain and wished for people to love them best of all. 




TURKEY BABY AND THE HUNGRY HAWK
Millie's Farm Family Book 2
By: Cathryn Wellner
Published: June 30, 2016
Publisher: Espoir Press
Format: Paperback

Millie the little hen and her big foster chick, Turkey Baby, are back. This time they are in big trouble. A hungry hawk nearly puts an end to their happy foster family. That's when Turkey Baby discovers she has far more courage than she knew. Her big-hearted love saves the day.

Based on a true story, the sequel to Millie's Feathered Foster Family is a celebration of family, belonging and the power of love to overcome obstacles. 




TURKEY BABY FINDS HER MAGIC
Millie's Farm Family Book 3
By: Cathryn Wellner
Published: November 13, 2016
Publisher: Espoir Press
Format: Paperback

Turkey Baby still feels small and weak, but she cannot resist seeking adventure beyond the farm. She faces a cat, a rooster, and a dog. Children surround her and frighten her. But she discovers her Magic, the kind that comes from within and casts a shield of courage.

This is Book 3 in Millie's Farm Family, a series about foster families, courage, and love - and, of course, chickens and turkeys. In Millie's Feathered Foster Family, Millie, a bantam hen, adopts a turkey chick. In Turkey Baby and the Hungry Hawk, Millie and her foster turkey, Turkey Baby, face down a hawk determined to turn them into dinner.

All three books focus on accepting The Other. They encourage reaching out with love and finding the courage to reach beyond comfort zones. Families are not all alike. This series offers a starting point for discussions with young children.

Here's wishing you warm Spring weather and great books with plenty of reading time. Be sure to let me know if you choose any of these to read!

I'm linking up with THE DELIBERATE READER for her monthly feature NEW ON THE STACK. To see other bloggers new books, click HERE.