Book Review: The French Girl By Lexie Elliott

THE FRENCH GIRL
A Novel 

By: Lexie Elliott

Published: February 20, 2018

Publisher: Berkley Books

Fiction/Suspense/Mystery




Debut novelist, Lexie Elliott always wanted to be a writer. Thinking back on a summer vacation with her friends to a farmhouse in France, the idea for this novel was formed. Kate Channing, along with her boyfriend Seb, and three other friends spend a week at their friend Theo's farmhouse in France. It's the perfect reward for surviving Oxford University. The six of them are the best of friends with Seb and Tom, cousins, Lara and Kate being best friends, Caro a childhood friend of Seb and Tom and Theo. Then the beautiful French girl, Severine, who lives next door, shows up. She changes the dynamics of their friendships and the day the friends are all set to return to London, Severine disappears.

Fast forward ten years later. Kate is living in London starting her own headhunter business. Seb is married...to someone else and is moving back to London. Tom and Lara are still Kate's best friends and Caro is ending up being a new potential client of Kate's. But, Severine has come back to haunt them. Her body has just been found at the bottom of the well at Theo's farmhouse. Theo can't be questioned because he was killed in Afghanistan. The five are now thrown back into what happened that week at the farmhouse and realizing someone isn't telling the truth.

I chose this novel because I love stories of friendships and secrets. When Severine's body is found and the timing points to one of the six likely committing the murder, the questions start to circulate in everyone's minds. Who isn't being truthful, what really happened that last night in France, and who is going to ultimately be the murderer? The story starts to unravel as Elliott takes you back to the week in France and into the minds of the five friends that are left to answer the detective's unending questions.

Elliott immediately starts to put you in the mode of questioning every character's motive. Why is Caro suddenly back in Kate's life? Why is Seb moving back with his new wife? Since Theo can't be questioned, can he be trusted? Elliott throws you into the lives of these thirty-something professionals who thought they could put that week in France behind them and now their lives and careers are hanging in balance as the investigation gets more and more intense and the French are pushing to make an arrest.

The interesting part of the story that really intrigued me was the introduction of Severine's ghost that only Kate could see. Severine loomed in Kate's periphery joining her at home, at work, after work at the bar, at dinner with friends, and while she was being questioned. At first, Kate can only see her bones or her skull, but then as the investigation moves forward, Severine becomes a crucial character in the story of her murder. She hovers around Kate, insistent that she isn't forgotten.

Even though I guessed the murderer and the story has a common second attempt at murder that I see in many novels as the murderer gets desperate, I was still surprised by the conclusion of the investigation. I thought it might leave me feeling angry, but it actually left me feeling like it was a bit more realistic than some other conclusions. Is this a fast-paced thriller with a shocking twist? No. It's more of a slow mystery that builds as you get to know the characters and their motives for keeping the secrets that have been inside them for ten years. I think Elliott has talent and creativity. Since she used bits of her own idyllic trip to France back in college for this story, I am hoping she has other recollections that she can fall back on for more twisted mysteries.

Lexie Elliott - source

Lexie Elliott has been writing for as long as she can remember, but she began to focus on it more seriously after she lost her banking job in 2009 due to the Global Financial Crisis. After some success in short story competitions, she began planning a novel. With two kids and a (new) job, it took some time for that novel to move from her head to the page, but the result was THE FRENCH GIRL.

When she's not writing, Lexie can be found running, swimming or cycling whilst thinking about writing. In 2007 she swam the English Channel solo. She won't be doing that again. In 2015 she ran 100km, raising money for Alzheimer Scotland. She won't be doing that again either. But the odd triathlon or marathon isn't out of the question. For more, check out her website, HERE. 

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




Other posts you might like:

JUST BETWEEN US

THE BREAKDOWN

I SEE YOU

VENGEANCE



Thanks to the publisher for providing copies 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.

Books that Came in March 2018

Our family took a somewhat spontaneous Spring Break trip to Oklahoma and Texas.We stopped in Oklahoma City and toured the Bombing Memorial (heartbreaking, peaceful, and humbling), a car show, went to an Oklahoma Thunder NBA game, and the Myriad Botanical Gardens. Then on to Dallas to see the George W Bush Presidential Library, The 6th Floor Museum/JFK Memorial, and AT&T Stadium (even though we aren't Cowboys fans, it is an impressive stadium). Then stopped in Bentonville, Arkansas to tour the Walmart Museum (actually pretty interesting) on our way home. It was a quick trip with lots of miles but even better, lots of quality family time.

Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial

Oklahoma City Car Show

AT&T Stadium

We also finished show choir for the season. It's one of our family's favorite things and it was such a fun show this year. We will really miss it.

I should update you that our son has chosen his college. We are very proud that he will be part of the Central College family. He will be running Cross Country and Track and has chosen music education as his major. We are thrilled to have this decision behind us and we can focus on his next step. He also turns 18 this month...more EMBRACING ahead for this mama.

 I have quite a few books to share with you this month, some purchased, some from the library, and others for review. Even though Mother Nature has been a bit difficult to understand lately, it is really Spring. April is here and in less than two months our oldest will graduate. The seasons are changing and I'm EMBRACING all the new experiences.

I read 16 books this month with 7 of them being children's books, 1 young adult, and 8 adult fiction/nonfiction. Two of them were audiobooks.

Currently Reading: THE GREAT ALONE
Currently Listening: ENDURANCE
Still Reading: THE GIFT OF AN ORDINARY DAY, GRACE NOT PERFECTION
Up Next: LET ME LIE

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 the product on 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. 

YOU'RE MY LITTLE CUDDLE BUG
By: Nicola Edwards
Illustrated by: Natalie Marshall
Published: February 1, 2018
Publisher: Silver Dolphin Books
Format: Board Book

This is a really sweet board book sharing the love you have for your child through adorable illustrations of various bugs. I reviewed this book already HERE. 

Celebrate your little cuddle bug with this sweet and colorful rhyming board book! 

Celebrate your little cuddle bug with this sweet and colorful rhyming board book! With chunky pages for little hands and die-cut cuddle bugs to add depth and interest, children will love the interactive features alongside the story.






MARLON BUNDO'S A DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
By: Charlotte Pence
Illustrated by: Karen Pence
Published: March 19, 2018
Publisher: Regnery Kids
Format: Picture Book

I had no idea the Pence family has a pet bunny. This book is a neat way for kids to learn the role of the Vice President through a family pet who gets to hang out with Vice President Pence. I already reviewed this book HERE. 

From the moment he hopped into the home of America's "Second Family," black-and-white bunny rabbit Marlon Bundo captured the hearts of Vice President Mike Pence, his wife Karen, and his children Michael, Charlotte, and Audrey. But little Marlon Bundo isn't just a family pet: like Peter Rabbit and Bugs Bunny before him, Marlon—or BOTUS (Bunny of the United States)—is a national celebrity! With his appearances at official White House events, his rides on Air Force 2, and his popular Instagram account, Marlon Bundo has become a beloved member of the Trump-Pence administration.

So how does a bunny experience a day in the life of the Vice President? Now young readers can follow Marlon Bundo along as he hops after "Grampa" (Vice President Mike Pence) in this delightful story penned by Charlotte Pence and illustrated faithfully with watercolors from the "Second Lady" herself, Karen Pence. 






IT'S A PUPPY'S LIFE
By: Seth Casteel
Published: March 20, 2018
Publisher: National Geographic Kids
Format: Picture Book

The photos are absolutely adorable and it should come with a warning that reading this book will make you rush out and adopt a puppy! I already reviewed this book HERE. 

Have you ever wanted to know what goes on in the life of one of nature's most beloved animals--the puppy? Follow along in this picture book featuring the photography of Seth Casteel.

Follow several puppies as they play, go for walks, eat, sleep, and romp about.






ANNA AND JOHANNA
By: Geraldine Elschner
Illustrated by: Florence Koenig
Published: April 10, 2018
Publisher: Prestel Junior
Format: Picture Book

This is a gorgeous book and tells the story of a delightful friendship. I can't wait to look at it more.

Although one is the daughter of a wealthy Dutch family and the other a household servant, Anna and Johanna become friends. Born on the same day, they celebrate their joint birthdays by making gifts for each other. But then a letter arrives that changes their lives forever. Told against the backdrop of the 17th-century Dutch city of Delft and its thriving commercial and artistic culture, this story of an unlikely friendship echoes the themes of Vermeer's luminous depiction of domestic life. Florence Koenig's brightly colored illustrations evoke Vermeer's style through the city's multifaceted landscapes, from misty mornings by the canals to busy households preparing for a special day. Young readers will be fascinated by this uplifting story of friendship inspired by Jan Vermeer.

BULWARK
By: Brit Lunden
Published: January 8, 2018
Publisher: Chelshire
Format: Paperback

Brit Lunden is also the name of best-selling children's book author Carole P. Roman. I don't typically read paranormal stories, but this one is short and since I am a fan of Roman's I'll give it try.

Clay Finnes is the sheriff of a small town in Georgia called Bulwark. Recently separated from his wife, all he can think about is what went wrong, and will Jenna ever come back to him. He's troubled by a bothersome reporter trying to build a story from what he thinks is a normal day in his life. Clay has to admit that the fantastical stories, told by an accident victim as well as unusual sightings of wolves, things are getting a bit strange. A visit to the ominous Gingerbread House makes him realize that his life as he knows it will never be the same.





SWIMMING BETWEEN WORLDS
A Novel
By: Elaine Neil Orr
Published: April 3, 2018
Publisher: Berkley
Format: Paperback

A Southern coming of age story, hidden letters, and converging stories. Sounds likes a great read to me! 

The lives of one young woman and two young men collide in a small neighborhood in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Kate, a recent college graduate, is still reeling from the deaths of her beloved parents when the discovery of hidden letters forces her to re-examine everything she knew about her family. Tacker, a young engineering student and all-around boy-hero, has returned from a West African odyssey where he fell in love with the local culture but was sent home in shame. Kate's and Tacker's stories come together when, on the same day and in different moments, they encounter a young African-American man named Gaines. The relationship that develops between the three is complicated, as each one searches for love, freedom, and new beginnings. 





TOO CLOSE TO BREATHE
A Novel
By: Olivia Kiernan
Published: April 3, 2018
Publisher: Dutton
Format: Hardcover

This sounds like a page-turner!

TOO SOON TO SEE

Polished. Professional. Perfect. Dead. Respected scientist Dr. Eleanor Costello is found hanging in her immaculate home: the scene the very picture of a suicide.

TOO LATE TO HIDE

DCS Frankie Sheehan is handed the case, and almost immediately spots foul play. Sheehan, a trained profiler, is seeking a murderer with a talent for death.

TOO CLOSE TO BREATHE

As Frankie strives to paint a picture of the killer, and their victim, she starts to sense they are part of a larger, darker canvas, on which the lines between the two blur.





THE HAZEL WOOD
A Novel
By: Melissa Albert
Published: January 30, 2018
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Format: Hardcover

This is the Target Book of the Month choice. 

Seventeen-year-old Alice and her mother have spent most of Alice’s life on the road, always a step ahead of the uncanny bad luck biting at their heels. But when Alice’s grandmother, the reclusive author of a cult-classic book of pitch-dark fairy tales, dies alone on her estate, the Hazel Wood, Alice learns how bad her luck can really get: her mother is stolen away―by a figure who claims to come from the Hinterland, the cruel supernatural world where her grandmother's stories are set. Alice's only lead is the message her mother left behind: “Stay away from the Hazel Wood.”

Alice has long steered clear of her grandmother’s cultish fans. But now she has no choice but to ally with classmate Ellery Finch, a Hinterland superfan who may have his own reasons for wanting to help her. To retrieve her mother, Alice must venture first to the Hazel Wood, then into the world where her grandmother's tales began―and where she might find out how her own story went so wrong.






BLESSED
Women Living Well
3-Month Habit Tracker
Published: February 12, 2018
Publisher: Women Living Well
Format: Paperback

This tracker includes pages for tracking prayer lists, Bible reading, note taking, health tracking, sleep tracking, meal planning, and gratitude. I haven't used it yet, but I like the layout and ease of use.  I'm a huge fan of the Women Living Well blog and have gotten studies and books from Courtney before. 






THE WHOLE30 FAST & EASY
150 Simply Delicious Everyday Recipes for Your Whole30
By: Melissa Hartwig
Published: December 5, 2017
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Format: Hardcover

I did Whole30 back in November of 2016. See my post HERE.  I liked it but it was really hard and took likes of time, planning, and food prep. I'd like to go back on it this summer and could use a few more recipes to work through.

Millions of people have transformed their lives with Whole30, yet co-creator Melissa Hartwig wants to make it even easier to achieve Whole30 success—with delicious, compliant, fast, and easy recipes. This follow-up to the best-selling The Whole30 Cookbook is packed recipes designed to get you out of the kitchen fast so you can enjoy all the benefits of your Whole30-inspired lifestyle.


The Whole30 Fast and Easy Cookbook features:
- Recipes perfect for weeknight cooking, lunches in a hurry, and hearty breakfasts that still get you out the door on time
- Nearly effortless skillet meals, stir-fries, sheet-pan suppers, and slow-cook and no-cook meals, most of which can be made in 30 minutes or less
- Creative, delicious meals using widely-available ingredients found in any supermarket
- Melissa's favorite kitchen hacks, designed to save time and money while maximizing flavor 


Whether you’re doing your first Whole30 or your fifth, or just looking for some healthy, fast, and easy recipes to try, this collection is a must-have for any kitchen.



GLOW15
A Science-Based Plant to Lose Weight, Revitalize Skin, and Invigorate Your Life
By: Naomi Whittel
Published: March 6, 2018
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Format: eBook

I saw an ad for this book in a magazine while on our Spring Break trip. After reading couple sample chapters, I bought the Kindle version. I am really intrigued by the philosophy of autophagy and have done parts of the plan since I read it. Again, it takes planning and prep work which I can't fit in right now, but I liked the recipes in the book as well as the schedule of high and low protein days. The exercise plan in the book also seems doable. 

Have you put on weight in recent years that you can’t lose? Do you crave more energy and stamina in your day? Is your skin drier than it used to be? Has your hair started to feel dry and look limp?

If you said yes to one or more of these questions, then Glow15 is your answer. Based on the breakthrough Nobel Prize-winning science of autophagy—the process by which cells remove toxins, recycle parts, and repair their own damage—Glow15 is a lifestyle plan that will make you look and feel younger. 






DREAM MORE
Celebrate the Dreamer in You
By: Dolly Parton
Published: November 27, 2012
Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons
Format: Audiobook

I heard about this book in two different places in the same week and both raved about the book, especially on audio. It was available through our library overdrive, so I downloaded it immediately and loved it! It is an expansion of a college graduation speech she gave and it is so down-to-earth and inspiring and fun that I whole-heartedly recommend it. Listening to Dolly read it is just the best and puts you in the happiest mood.







FALSE REPORT
A True Story of Rape in America
By: T. Christian Miller and Ken Armstrong
Published: February 6, 2018
Publisher: Crown
Format: Hardcover

This book was a fascinating but tough read. I checked it out from our library.

On August 11, 2008, eighteen-year-old Marie truthfully reported that a masked man broke into her apartment near Seattle, Washington, and raped her, but within days police and even those closest to Marie became suspicious of her story. The police swiftly pivoted and began investigating her. Confronted with inconsistencies in her story and the doubts of others, Marie broke down and said her story was a lie. Police charged her with false reporting. One of her best friends created a web page branding her a liar.

More than two years later, Colorado detective Stacy Galbraith was assigned to investigate a case of sexual assault. Describing the crime to her husband that night--the attacker's calm and practiced demeanor, which led the victim to surmise "he's done this before"--Galbraith learned that the case bore an eerie resemblance to a rape that had taken place months earlier in a nearby town. She joined forces with the detective on that case, Edna Hendershot, and the two soon realized they were dealing with a serial rapist: a man who photographed his victims, threatening to release the images online, and whose calculated steps to erase all physical evidence suggested he might be a soldier or a cop. Through meticulous police work, the detectives would eventually connect the rapist to other attacks in Colorado--and beyond.





A THOUSAND NAKED STRANGERS
A Paramedics Wild Ride to the Edge and Back
By: Kevin Hazzard
Published: September 20, 2016
Publisher: Scribner
Format: eBook


I don't remember where I heard about this book but possibly through the comments on the WHAT SHOULD I READ NEXT PODCAST post. I love medical memoirs. It was available on my library's overdrive system so I downloaded it. It's definitely eye-opening and entertaining and offers a different perspective on the medical process. 

A former paramedic’s visceral, poignant, and mordantly funny account of a decade spent on Atlanta’s mean streets saving lives and connecting with the drama and occasional beauty that lies inside a catastrophe.

In the aftermath of 9/11, Kevin Hazzard felt that something was missing from his life—his days were too safe, too routine. A failed salesman turned local reporter, he wanted to test himself, see how he might respond to pressure and danger. He signed up for emergency medical training and became, at age twenty-six, a newly minted EMT running calls in the worst sections of Atlanta. His life entered a different realm—one of blood, violence, and amazing grace.

Thoroughly intimidated at first and frequently terrified, he experienced on a nightly basis the adrenaline rush of walking into chaos. But in his downtime, Kevin reflected on how people’s facades drop away when catastrophe strikes. As his hours on the job piled up, he realized he was beginning to see into the truth of things. There is no pretense five beats into a chest compression, or in an alley next to a crack den, or on a dimly lit highway where cars have collided. Eventually, what had at first seemed impossible happened: Kevin acquired mastery. And in the process, he was able to discern the professional differences between his freewheeling peers, what marked each—as he termed them—as “a tourist,” “true believer,” or “killer.”

Combining indelible scenes that remind us of life’s fragile beauty with laugh-out-loud moments that keep us smiling through the worst, A Thousand Naked Strangers is an absorbing read about one man’s journey of self-discovery—a trip that also teaches us about ourselves.

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

As always, be sure to let me know if you read any of these. 


You may also be interested in these posts:

Books that Came in February 2018

Books that Came in January 2018

Books that Came in December 2017

Books that Came in January 2018

Well, it has been so good to get back to regular reading. I have been making the time to read whether I am at home in my favorite chair, riding in the van to a ball game, waiting for an appointment, or during my lunch. I always have a book going on my phone, on audible, and a physical book. I'm trying to go to my Kindle app on my phone when I have even just 5 minutes rather than scrolling through Facebook. I'm finding, even just checking Facebook once a day, allows me to see all I need to see and all those wasted minutes are better used for reading.

I'm still being super selective on new books I take on because I am so far behind on reading the books on my own shelves. I need to read the books on my own shelves so my shelves aren't so overflowing. Plus I'm always behind on my review books. I can't believe that I am telling you I read 15 books in January! Yes, 15! Now, in all honesty, 4 were middle-grade chapter books, 3 were children's books, and 2 were audiobooks. But, that still leaves 6 adult fiction/non-fiction books that I read with my own eyes. That is a lot for me. Trust me, I'm not sitting around the house all day reading. I've got a lot going on. But, like I said, I've been more intentional about my reading and it shows! I can't wait to see what my February reading looks like!

Currently Reading: AS BRIGHT AS HEAVEN, THE BOOK THAT MATTERS MOST, THE GIFT OF AN ORDINARY DAY
Currently Listening: AND EVERY MORNING THE WAY HOME GETS LONGER AND LONGER
Still Reading: GRACE NOT PERFECTION
Up Next: THE FRENCH GIRL

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 the product on 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. 

ELLIE, ENGINEER
By: Jackson Pearce
Published: January 16, 2018
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's 
Format: Paperback

This new middle-grade series is written to inspire tween girls in STEM. I LOVE this idea and can't wait to check out this book and see what will be next in the series. I think girls are going to LOVE these books.

The hilarious and smart start of a series about a girl who loves to build—STEM-powered, creative fun for girls.

Ellie is an engineer. With a tool belt strapped over her favorite skirt (who says you can’t wear a dress and have two kinds of screwdrivers handy, just in case?), she invents and builds amazing creations in her backyard workshop. Together with her best friend Kit, Ellie can make anything. As Kit’s birthday nears, Ellie doesn’t know what gift to make until the girls overhear Kit’s mom talking about her present—the dog Kit always wanted! Ellie plans to make an amazing doghouse, but her plans grow so elaborate that she has to enlist help from the neighbor boys and crafty girls, even though the two groups don’t get along. Will Ellie be able to pull off her biggest project yet?

Illustrated with Ellie’s sketches and plans, and including backmatter with how-tos, this is full of engineering fun!






SOME BUNNY LOVES ME
Sharing Kindness with Our Animal Friends
By: Parry Gripp
Published: December 26, 2017
Publisher: National Geographic Children's Books
Format: Hardcover

The cover alone grabs you doesn't it? Another great Valentine's Day gift idea for the child in your life. I reviewed this already, HERE. 

Through adorable, uplifting photographs, and sweet, silly text, kids will learn not only how to interact with animals, but also just what makes you a good friend for your fuzzy, feathered, or scaly new bud. This fun book will inspire young animal lovers to understand their perfect new pal, giving kids lessons on being gentle with pets, making sure to care and love them, how to be patient, and more. Lyrical text illustrates the fun and companionship that dogs, cats, lizards, fish, rabbits, and all sorts of animal friends can offer. Parents and families considering or who've just gotten a new pet will have fun sharing and learning all about animals together. Plus, turn each page and sing along with Parry with an original song and music video!



PAW PATROL RESCUE TIME!
By: Nickelodeon
Published: October 3, 2017
Publisher: SFI Readerlink Dist.
Format: Hardcover

Paw Patrol is a hugely popular Nickelodeon TV show and I'm anxious to check this out. I've never seen the show as our children were too old when it came out. The book also has a wrist projector that projects images onto your wall. I think most kids will think that is pretty cool.

Join the PAW Patrol team on two fun-filled adventure in this hardcover book that includes a removable communicator!  Pretend to contact the rest of the team while projecting images from the story directly onto the wall!

Whether it's Alex's first tooth that gets misplaced before he can put it under his pillow for the Tooth Fairy, or a flock of Symphony Songbirds that have gone missing from thier nests, the PAW Patrol is ready to rush to the rescue! Read these two pup-tastic adventures, and use your wrist projector to display ten images on the wall that extend the action! 






HEDGEHUGS
By: Steve Wilson and Lucy Tapper
Published: December 15, 2015
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company, LLC
Format: Board Book

I saw this at Target and read it. I'm a sucker for Hedgehogs since my parents had one for a pet when I was in college. It's a super sweet story and one that would make the perfect Valentine's Day gift for a little one in your life. I'll be sending it to my great-nieces!

Horace and Hattie are hedgehogs, and the very best of friends. Together, they make daisy chains, splash in puddles, and have tea parties. But there is one thing they can't do—hug! They are just too spiky. Throughout the seasons, these two hedgehogs will try many different ways of hugging. But will Horace and Hattie find a hug that feels just right?






TELL ME MORE
Stories About the 12 Hardest Things I'm Learning to Say
By: Kelly Corrigan
Published: January 9, 2018
Publisher: Random House
Format: Audiobook

This was on my radar, but after reading Bermudaonion's review, I knew I had to read it. I listened to her book THE MIDDLE PLACE and really identified with much of her feelings on parenting and being a child of aging parents. I used an audible credit for this one and since it's just over 4 hours long, I'm sure I'll be listening to it soon.

In "I Don't Know," Corrigan wrestles to make peace with uncertainty, whether it's over expected invitations that never come or a friend's agonizing infertility. In "No," she admires her mother's ability to set boundaries, her liberating willingness to be unpopular. In "Tell Me More," she learns something important about listening from a facialist named Tish. And in "I Was Wrong," she comes clean about her disastrous role in a family fight--and explains why saying sorry may not be enough. With refreshing candor, a deep well of empathy, and her signature desire to understand "the thing behind the thing," Corrigan swings in this insightful book between meditations on life with a preoccupied husband and two mercurial teenage daughters to profound observations on love and loss.

In channeling the characteristically streetwise, ever-relatable voice that has defined Corrigan's work, Tell Me More is a meaningful, touching take on the power of the right words at the right moment to change everything.




FIRST WOMEN
The Grace and Power of America's First Ladies
By: Kate Anderson Brower
Published: April 12, 2016
Publisher: Harper
Format: Audiobook

I forgot to mention this one last month. I purchased it with an Audible credit after two people suggested I might like it. I've finished it and will be talking about it my Quick Lit post in a couple weeks. I'll just say, I was a bit disappointed and didn't like it as much as I had hoped.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the groundbreaking backstairs look at the White House, The Residence, comes an intimate, news-making look at the true modern power brokers at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue: the First Ladies, from Jackie Kennedy to Michelle Obama.

One of the most underestimated—and challenging—positions in the world, the First Lady of the United States must be many things: an inspiring leader with a forward-thinking agenda of her own; a savvy politician, skilled at navigating the treacherous rapids of Washington; a wife and mother operating under constant scrutiny; and an able CEO responsible for the smooth operation of countless services and special events at the White House. Now, as she did in her smash #1 bestseller The Residence, former White House correspondent Kate Andersen Brower draws on a wide array of untapped, candid sources—from residence staff and social secretaries to friends and political advisers—to tell the stories of the ten remarkable women who have defined that role since 1960.

Brower offers new insights into this privileged group of remarkable women, including Jacqueline Kennedy, Lady Bird Johnson, Patricia Nixon, Betty Ford, Rosalynn Carter, Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush, Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush, and Michelle Obama. The stories she shares range from the heartwarming to the shocking and tragic, exploring everything from the first ladies’ political crusades to their rivalries with Washington figures; from their friendships with other first ladies to their public and private relationships with their husbands. She also offers a detailed and insightful new portrait of one of the most-watched first ladies of all time, Hillary Clinton, asking what her tumultuous years in the White House may tell us about her own historic presidential run . . . and what life could be like with the nation’s first First Husband.

Candid and illuminating, this first group biography of the modern first ladies provides a revealing look at life upstairs and downstairs at the world’s most powerful address.






SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES
And Other Lessons from the Crematory
By: Caitlin Doughty
Published: September 28, 2015
Publisher: W. W. Norton and Company
Format: eBook

I don't remember where I first heard about this book, but I added it to my Overdrive account and my turn finally came up. It's morbid, horrid, and fascinating. I'll be talking about it in my Quick Lit post in a couple weeks.

Most people want to avoid thinking about death, but Caitlin Doughty—a twenty-something with a degree in medieval history and a flair for the macabre—took a job at a crematory, turning morbid curiosity into her life’s work. Thrown into a profession of gallows humor and vivid characters (both living and very dead), Caitlin learned to navigate the secretive culture of those who care for the deceased.

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes tells an unusual coming-of-age story full of bizarre encounters and unforgettable scenes. Caring for dead bodies of every color, shape, and affliction, Caitlin soon becomes an intrepid explorer in the world of the dead. She describes how she swept ashes from the machines (and sometimes onto her clothes) and reveals the strange history of cremation and undertaking, marveling at bizarre and wonderful funeral practices from different cultures.

Her eye-opening, candid, and often hilarious story is like going on a journey with your bravest friend to the cemetery at midnight. She demystifies death, leading us behind the black curtain of her unique profession. And she answers questions you didn’t know you had: Can you catch a disease from a corpse? How many dead bodies can you fit in a Dodge van? What exactly does a flaming skull look like?

Honest and heartfelt, self-deprecating and ironic, Caitlin's engaging style makes this otherwise taboo topic both approachable and engrossing. Now a licensed mortician with an alternative funeral practice, Caitlin argues that our fear of dying warps our culture and society, and she calls for better ways of dealing with death (and our dead).







THE 100-YEAR-OLD MAN WHO CLIMBED OUT THE WINDOW AND DISAPPEARED
By: Jonas Jonasson
Published: September 11, 2012
Publisher: Hachette Books
Format: Paperback

One of the small town libraries near us had their book sale so I grabbed this one. It's been said to be a combination of A MAN CALLED OVE and FORREST GUMP. Can't wait to read it!

A reluctant centenarian much like Forrest Gump (if Gump were an explosives expert with a fondness for vodka) decides it’s not too late to start over …

After a long and eventful life, Allan Karlsson ends up in a nursing home, believing it to be his last stop. The only problem is that he’s still in good health, and in one day, he turns 100. A big celebration is in the works, but Allan really isn’t interested (and he’d like a bit more control over his vodka consumption). So he decides to escape. He climbs out the window in his slippers and embarks on a hilarious and entirely unexpected journey, involving, among other surprises, a suitcase stuffed with cash, some unpleasant criminals, a friendly hot-dog stand operator, and an elephant (not to mention a death by elephant).

It would be the adventure of a lifetime for anyone else, but Allan has a larger-than-life backstory: Not only has he witnessed some of the most important events of the twentieth century, but he has actually played a key role in them. Starting out in munitions as a boy, he somehow finds himself involved in many of the key explosions of the twentieth century and travels the world, sharing meals and more with everyone from Stalin, Churchill, and Truman to Mao, Franco, and de Gaulle. Quirky and utterly unique, The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared has charmed readers across the world.



I'D RATHER BE READING
A Library of Art for Book Lovers
By: Guinevere De La Mare
Published: August 15, 2017
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Format: Hardcover

I had a credit and a coupon to use on Chronicle Books so I chose this lovely book. It's more for decoration that reading. It has artwork, poems, and quotes inside related to all things books and reading.

For anyone who'd rather be reading than doing just about anything else, this book is the ultimate must-have. In this visual ode to all things bookish, readers will get lost in page after page of beautiful contemporary art, photography, and illustrations depicting the pleasures of books. Artwork from the likes of Jane Mount, Lisa Congdon, Julia Rothman, and Sophie Blackall is interwoven with text from essayist Maura Kelly, bestselling author Gretchen Rubin, and award-winning author and independent bookstore owner Ann Patchett. Rounded out with poems, quotations, and aphorisms celebrating the joys of reading, this lovingly curated compendium is a love letter to all things literary and the perfect gift for bookworms everywhere. 





THE BODY IN THE WOODS
By: April Henry
Published: June 17, 2014
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Format: Paperback

I purchased this book for our daughter with her birthday coupon from Barnes and Noble. She is a reader, which I love, but we read completely different books. She likes dark and scary stuff and I don't. So, I can't tell you anything else about this novel except she has already read it and her birthday was just a couple weeks ago. She also begged for more by April Henry but since several are below her AR level, I was limited to what I could choose. This is apparently Book 1 in a series as well.

In this new series told from multiple perspectives, teen members of a search and rescue team discover a dead body in the woods.

Alexis, Nick, and Ruby have very different backgrounds: Alexis has spent her life covering for her mom’s mental illness, Nick’s bravado hides his fear of not being good enough, and Ruby just wants to pursue her eccentric interests in a world that doesn’t understand her. When the three teens join Portland County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue, they are teamed up to search for a autistic man lost in the woods. What they find instead is a dead body. In a friendship that will be forged in danger, fear, and courage, the three team up to find the girl’s killer—before he can strike one of their own.

This first book in April Henry’s Point Last Seen YA mystery series is full of riveting suspense, putting readers in the middle of harrowing rescues and crime scene investigations.






GIRL STOLEN
By: April Henry
Published: September 28, 2010
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co
Format: Paperback

Another choice for my daughter. This is an older one but fits her AR level. It's also the first in a series. 

Sixteen-year-old Cheyenne Wilder is sleeping in the back of the car while her stepmom fills a prescription for antibiotics. Before Cheyenne realizes what's happening, the car is being stolen.

Griffin hadn't meant to kidnap Cheyenne and once he finds out that not only does she have pneumonia, but that she's blind, he really doesn't know what to do. When his dad finds out that Cheyenne's father is the president of a powerful corporation, everything changes--now there's a reason to keep her. 

How will Cheyenne survive this nightmare?

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

As always, be sure to let me know if you read any of these.