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6

My Sunshine Away

My Sunshine Away unfolds in a Baton Rouge neighborhood best known for cookouts on sweltering MySunshineAwaysummer afternoons, cauldrons of spicy crawfish, and passionate football fandom. But in the summer of 1989, when fifteen-year-old Lindy Simpson—free spirit, track star, and belle of the block—experiences a horrible crime late one evening near her home, it becomes apparent that this idyllic stretch of Southern suburbia has a dark side, too.

In My Sunshine Away, M.O. Walsh brilliantly juxtaposes the enchantment of a charmed childhood with the gripping story of a violent crime, unraveling families, and consuming adolescent love. Acutely wise and deeply honest, it is an astonishing and page-turning debut about the meaning of family, the power of memory, and our ability to forgive.

~ Goodreads

My review..........3 stars

It pains me to say this because so many people are raving about this book, but I can only say that I liked it. It is one of those books that was good enough to keep me reading to the end, but one that will probably not resonate down the road. It wasn't because of the writing, which was very good, but because of the characters, particularly the story's narrator. The narrator is a teenage boy who is obsessed with this girl who gets raped in their quiet neighborhood. And when I say obsessed, I mean creepy (to me) obsessed. Having never been a teenage boy, or having a teenage boy, I'm sure I'm missing the point, but his behavior (from the spying in trees, changing his appearance, the excessive drinking and carousing), made me not care for him at all. I did enjoy trying to figure out who had committed the crime, as the story is told over a long period of time, where each potential candidate is introduced. This is a debut novel, and I look forward to reading another one by this author. While I didn't enjoy the characters, I did like his writing, and hope that I will relate better to the next novel.

I'm one of the few who hasn't really warmed to this one, so you may want to pick it up and form your own opinions on it.

2

I tend to read young adult fiction in between some of my other books. I find it to be a nice change of pace. The books tend to be a bit shorter, and I am more apt to venture into some genres that I wouldn't necessarily read. I'm going to give a short review of the books I've read so far in 2015. All book titles are linked to Goodreads, if you would like a more detailed synopsis of the books.

Dash&LillysBookOfDares

Dash & Lilly's Book of Dares

I read this at the end of 2014. The story takes place over the holidays, so it was the perfect time to read this one. It was very cute, I loved the fact that it revolves around a bookstore.  My review.........3 stars

 

 

 

TheSelection

The Selection

First in a trilogy. Points given for the gorgeous covers! I would describe this as The Hunger Games (minus the violence) meets The Bachelor. While I'm not a huge Bachelor fan, and this would (I believe) be considered a dystopian novel, I loved it!!  My review..........5 stars

 

 

TheElite

The Elite

This one, while good, was my least favorite of the trilogy. A lot of time was spent with the main character deciding which guy she wanted, and I got bored. It picked up at the end, which was a good omen for book three.  My review.........4 stars

 

 

 

AllTheBrightPlaces

All The Bright Places

Don't hate me for this, but I could not get into the characters in this book at all. So many glowing reviews for this one, but I was just meh. I didn't really care what happened to them. This one fell flat. My review.........2 stars

 

 

 

TheOne

The One

This one fell somewhere in between the first book and the second book. I really liked the way the author resolved the love triangle, let's just say she didn't take the easy way out and eliminate one of them. Mixed emotions at the end.  My review...........4.5 stars

 

 

AllTheseThingsIveDone

All These Things I've Done

Great book. Kind of a dystopian, family sage, mafioso mash-up, that was really well written. Kept me engaged the whole way through! This is the first in a series, I'm going to have to seek out the others. My review.........4 stars

 

 

 

IfYouComeSoftly

If You Come Softly

My first book by National Book Award winner Woodson. I thought the writing was wonderful, the story was just ok. The book was really short, and I think this may have hindered my fully attaching to the characters. My review..........3 stars

 

2

The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy (Harold Fry #2)

 

When Queenie Hennessy discovers that Harold Fry is walking the length of England to save her, and all she has to do is wait, she is shocked. Her note had explained she was dying. How can she wait?

TheLoveSongOfMissQueenieHennessyA new volunteer at the hospice suggests that Queenie should write again; only this time she must tell Harold everything. In confessing to secrets she has hidden for twenty years, she will find atonement for the past. As the volunteer points out, 'Even though you've done your travelling, you're starting a new journey too.'

Queenie thought her first letter would be the end of the story. She was wrong. It was the beginning.

~ Goodreads

 

My review.............4 stars

 

I was a huge fan of the companion novel to this book, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. While I would not say that you have to read Harold's story before Queenie's, I do think that it would be beneficial, and it would shed more light and understanding to this one. While I loved Queenie and her journey while she waits for Harold's concurrent journey, I loved the short snippets we got from the hospice home where Queenie is living. The day to day goings on were what I looked forward to, as much as Queenie's continuing story about her prior life with Harold. Rachel Joyce is a wonderful writer, these are not the only two books I have read from her, and I look forward to many more! The only thing I did not like about the book was the ending! Of course by reading Harold's novel, I knew part of it, but without giving out spoilers, I was intrigued, but at the same time kind of disappointed with Queenie's letters. It was an interesting twist, but left me wanting more closure.

 

I would absolutely recommend this book, but if you want the full experience, be sure to pick up a copy of Harold Fry's book to go with it. Thanks to the publisher who provided me an advance copy of this book (via NetGalley).

 

7

The Nightingale

In love we find out who we want to be.
In war we find out who we are.

FRANCE, 1939

In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says goodbye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads for the Front. She doesn’t believe that the Nazis will invade France...but invade they do, in droves of marching soldiers, in caravans of trucks and tanks, in planes that fill the skies and drop bombs upon the innocent. When France is overrun, Vianne is forced to take an enemy into her house, and suddenly her every move is watched; her life and her child’s life is at constant risk. Without food or money or hope, as danger escalates around her, she must make one terrible choice after another.

Vianne’s sister, Isabelle, is a rebellious eighteen-year-old girl, searching for purpose with all the TheNightingalereckless passion of youth. While thousands of Parisians march into the unknown terrors of war, she meets the compelling and mysterious Gäetan, a partisan who believes the French can fight the Nazis from within France, and she falls in love as only the young can...completely. When he betrays her, Isabelle races headlong into danger and joins the Resistance, never looking back or giving a thought to the real--and deadly--consequences.

With courage, grace and powerful insight, bestselling author Kristin Hannah takes her talented pen to the epic panorama of WWII and illuminates an intimate part of history seldom seen: the women’s war. The Nightingale tells the stories of two sisters, separated by years and experience, by ideals, passion and circumstance, each embarking on her own dangerous path toward survival, love, and freedom in German-occupied, war-torn France--a heartbreakingly beautiful novel that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the durability of women. It is a novel for everyone, a novel for a lifetime.

~ Goodreads

My review.............4.5 stars

Wow, what an amazing read! I've read a few books by Kristin Hannah in the past, but this one was different than others. Ms. Hannah delves into historical fiction, and does she ever deliver! This is set during WWII in France, and focuses on the role the women played in the war effort. Unlike All The Light We Cannot See (which I did not enjoy), this one was what I'd been waiting for.  So many things to like about this book, starting with the characters. I thought all of the characters were well drawn out, even those that we did not follow throughout the course of the book. Even though I was more drawn to Vianne and her story, it was Isabelle's story that provided the tension and kept me turning pages. I loved that there was the hint of romance, but the author never went there, which (for me) was huge plus. In my opinion the story would have lost some lustre if romance had become a focus. I'm not going to lie and tell you this is a pleasing read, it is dark and gritty with all the images of war ravaging throughout. The end was such an incredible climax to the story. Your heart goes out to these characters, I was not without tissues on several occasions. The only reason this did not rate 5 stars was because I felt it was a little slow to take off (which is bound to happen when setting up historical novels), and thought it was maybe a tad too long in the middle. Very minor things.

If you have any interest in this time period, or even in women's roles in historical fiction, you must pick this up! Many kudos to Kristin Hannah for her research and engrossing story! It's one I won't soon forget. Thanks to my Indie bookstore, I had the pleasure of attending an author event with Ms. Hannah, where she spoke about her research and the impetus for writing this novel. It was a wonderful event!

8

The Martian

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first men to walk on the surface of Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first man to die there.

It started with the dust storm that holed his suit and nearly killed him, and that forced his crew to leave him behind, sure he was already dead. Now he's stranded millions of miles from the nearest TheMartianhuman being, with no way to even signal Earth that he's alive--and even if he could get word out, his food would be gone years before a rescue mission could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to get him first.

But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills--and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit--he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. But will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

My review...........5 stars!!

This is a sci-fi book people......and I freaking LOVED it!! It is probably important to mention a couple things about me that may have influenced my love of this book. I have always been a science geek, and I was an 11 year old girl (following every aspect) when we landed a man on the moon. The space program has always held a huge interest for me. Then again, I've read a lot of reviews for this book, and not one of them has been anything but positive. We can't all be space geeks right?

The book is written primarily as journal entries from Mark Watney. There are also chapters within the story that detail what is going on at mission control, once they realize Mark is stranded on Mars. The main character is one of the best characters to ever be written. He is smart, industrious, genuine,funny (laugh out loud funny in several places). It was amazing to me that the author would create scenarios, and have the knowledge of how to get Mark out of them. The whole idea of him trying to solve his food issue was fascinating!

I could not put this book down. I had to see Mark through all of his crises. This would make such a great movie, I hope it is optioned for one. Get this book, you won't be sorry!

2

Whistling Past the Graveyard

The summer of 1963 begins like any other for nine-year-old Starla Claudelle. Born to teenage parents in Mississippi, Starla is being raised by a strict paternal grandmother, Mamie, whose worst fear is that Starla will turn out like her mother. Starla hasn’t seen her momma since she was three, but is WhistlingPastTheGraveyardconvinced that her mother will keep her promise to take Starla and her daddy to Nashville, where her mother hopes to become a famous singer—and that one day her family will be whole and perfect.

When Starla is grounded on the Fourth of July, she sneaks out to see the parade. After getting caught, Starla’s fear that Mamie will make good on her threats and send her to reform school cause her to panic and run away from home. Once out in the country, Starla is offered a ride by a black woman, Eula, who is traveling with a white baby. She happily accepts a ride, with the ultimate goal of reaching her mother in Nashville.

As the two unlikely companions make their long and sometimes dangerous journey, Starla’s eyes are opened to the harsh realities of 1963 southern segregation. Through talks with Eula, reconnecting with her parents, and encountering a series of surprising misadventures, Starla learns to let go of long-held dreams and realizes family is forged from those who will sacrifice all for you, no matter if bound by blood or by the heart.

My review............3 stars

Such a feel good kind of story! That is not to say that there wasn't some tension and sadness along the way, but in the end you come away with a sigh of satisfaction. The title refers to the act of keeping your head up and carrying on when you encounter trouble in your life. The narrator of this book is what makes the story! She is adorable, sassy, smart, precocious, and a kid I'd love to get to know. I thought the author did a good job with all of the characters. The segregation and racial tension was very well portrayed without it being an "in your face" part of the plot. It's the kind of book where you are rooting for the characters through all of their adventures.

I gave it three stars simply because it's the kind of book that probably won't resonate with me down the road, except to remember that I liked it. That still makes it a book worth reading, it's a worthy one.  And I dare you not to fall in love with little Starla.

4

The Girl on the Train

Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. “Jess and TheGirlOnTheTrainJason,” she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.

And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel offers what she knows to the police, and becomes inextricably entwined in what happens next, as well as in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?

A compulsively readable, emotionally immersive, Hitchcockian thriller that draws comparisons to Gone Girl, The Silent Wife, or Before I Go to Sleep, this is an electrifying debut embraced by readers across markets and categories.

My review.............4 stars

So unless you are living under a rock, you've probably seen or heard something about this book. The fact that it's being compared to Gone Girl really bugs me (most of us who read a lot are tired of it ok?). It's a psychological thriller, and I guess publishers think this new comparison is going to sell more books. I get it, but I'm over it. But I digress.........

This was a great read. Very engaging, you are immediately caught up in Rachel's world, and soon caught up in the plot (to the tune of "what the heck is going on here?"). It's definitely a book that keeps you turning pages to find out what is going to happen. I did figure out the whoodunit well before the end (and I'm not a big mystery reader/crime solver). I've read some reviews where that bothered people, but it didn't me. I was happy that I figured it out (for once). What kept me from giving this 5 stars is that there wasn't really a likable character at all. Even though I was rooting for Rachel to get it together, she kept frustrating me with her behavior throughout the book. I really needed someone to love and feel sorry for, and none of the characters brought that to me.

Overall a fast paced, interesting, and intriguing book. I flew through it, and it left me very satisfied at the end.

4

The Rosie Effect

 

THE ROSIE PROJECT WAS COMPLETE BUT I WAS UNPREPARED FOR THE ROSIE EFFECT.

GREETINGS. My name is Don Tillman. I am forty-one years old. I have been married to Rosie Jarman, world's most perfect woman, for ten months and ten days.Marriage added significant complexity to my life. When we relocated to New York City, Rosie brought TheRosieEffectthree maximum-size suitcases. We abandoned the Standardised Meal System and agreed that sex should not be scheduled in advance.

Then Rosie told me we had 'something to celebrate', and I was faced with a challenge even greater than finding a partner.

I have attempted to follow traditional protocols and have sourced advice from all six of my friends, plus a therapist and the internet.

The result has been a web of deceit. I am now in danger of prosecution, deportation and professional disgrace.

And of losing Rosie forever.

 

My review.............3 stars

 

I liked this book, but I think it fell prey to the sequel effect. Pretty much any first book of a series I've read and loved, I'm so excited for the next book, that it falls a bit flat. Part of this is probably because I'm expecting too much, since I have higher expectations of a sequel. This book was a good read, but it was more serious than the first, and dealt with more serious issues. Don still got himself into some snafus, but it wasn't as laugh out loud funny as the first go-round. I did still love his character, and I felt that the book did keep him true to that character, which was comforting.

 

Bottom line.....while it paled in comparison to its predecessor The Rosie Project, this was still an enjoyable read. I love Don Tillman, and I would read a third book about him, should it be written.

 

3

Horrorstör

Something strange is happening at the Orsk furniture superstore in Cleveland, Ohio. Every morning, employees arrive to find broken Kjerring bookshelves, shattered Glans water goblets, and smashed Liripip wardrobes. Sales are down, security cameras reveal nothing, and store managers are panicking.

To unravel the mystery, three employees volunteer to work a nine-hour dusk-till-dawn shift. In the Horrorstordead of the night, they’ll patrol the empty showroom floor, investigate strange sights and sounds, and encounter horrors that defy the imagination.

A traditional haunted house story in a thoroughly contemporary setting, Horrorstör comes packaged in the form of a glossy mail order catalog, complete with product illustrations, a home delivery order form, and a map of Orsk’s labyrinthine showroom.

My review............4 stars

Anyone who has read many of my reviews would never think I would give this high a rating for, of all things, a horror story! Believe me, I'm not a fan of horror, whether it be in print or in movies. This book gets all its stars from the sheer genius of the design and the idea behind the print. Once I saw the cover, I knew that I had to have it. It's set up like an Ikea catalog, right down to each chapter featuring a piece of furniture with a description (just like in a catalog), and that piece is used somewhere within the chapter. If you've ever walked through one of these stores, the descriptions of the store layout was brilliant. The story was so clever, and surprise surprise, I didn't even mind the horror parts! It was more creepy, kind of disgusting stuff, and it doesn't even occur until the last third of the book. It's a fast read, and with all the pictures and diagrams, it just flows together seamlessly.

This would be a great book for someone who wants to read something completely different and out of their comfort zone, particularly if you appreciate the artistic aspects of a book. I thought the whole thing was a treasure. I'll never walk through an Ikea store again without thinking about this book!

2

Lost and Found

 

Millie Bird is a seven-year-old girl who always wears red wellington boots to match her red, curly hair. But one day, Millie’s mum leaves her alone beneath the Ginormous Women’s underwear rack in a department store, and doesn’t come back.

Agatha Pantha is an eighty-two-year-old woman who hasn’t left her home since her husband died. Instead, she fills the silence by yelling at passers-by, watching loud static on TV, and maintaining a Lost&Foundstrict daily schedule. Until the day Agatha spies a little girl across the street.

Karl the Touch Typist is eighty-seven years old and once typed love letters with his fingers on to his wife’s skin. He sits in a nursing home, knowing that somehow he must find a way for life to begin again. In a moment of clarity and joy, he escapes.

Together, Millie, Agatha and Karl set out to find Millie’s mum. Along the way, they will discover that the young can be wise, that old age is not the same as death, and that breaking the rules once in a while might just be the key to a happy life.

 

My review..........3 stars

 

I originally saw this book on BookRiot's In the Mail utube segment. I had to wait until the version for US readers came out on NetGalley to request it. I was so intrigued by the description, it seemed like the perfect book for me.

 

I liked it........but then I didn't. The beginning of the book was fantastic! The introduction to the three main characters was wonderful, the idea of them helping poor little Millie was a great storyline, the writing was fine.......I was happily reading along. Then about midway through the book, once they get on their journey, it got crazy and pretty unbelievable. The characters that were endearing at the beginning, end up turning into crazy people (Millie to a lesser extent, but even she was kind of unbelievable for a seven year old). I wish that the journey could have taken a few less wacky turns, because by the end, I wasn't really loving any of the characters.

 

Great beginning, but keep an open mind regarding the latter half. Some will probably love that the quirky behaviors were magnified, but it kind of ruined the end of the book for me.