Category: Book Reviews

Welcome Back!

Have you ever had one of those days where you do nothing “productive” or just needed some time to relax…on purpose.  I just had one of those days. It basically went like this:

Got the boys off to school.

Had coffee.

Started reading.

Napped.

Got up and ate some lunch.

Started Reading

Napped.

That was it.

The great thing was that I got two naps! (Mus have needed some rest!)

The next thing, was that I finished a really good read.
We are All Made of Stars by Rowan Coleman

Stella Carey has good reason to only work nights at the hospice where she is a nurse. Married to a war veteran who has returned from Afghanistan brutally injured, Stella leaves the house each night as her husband Vincent, locks himself away, unable to sleep due to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

During her nights at the hospice, Stella writes letters for her patients containing their final wishes, thoughts and feelings – from how to use a washing machine, to advice on how to be a good parent – and usually she delivers each letter to the recipient after he or she has died.

That is until Stella writes one letter that she feels compelled to deliver in time to give her patient one final chance of redemption…

I loved this book. I read it in three days. I enjoyed the stories of each of the main characters and I really liked reading the letters Stella wrote for her patients, which are between each chapter. I don’t want to say more because it would ruin the story for you. Great read!!

I would give this a 5 out of 5 stars.
(I am a sucker for a good love story!)

Hello!

I just finished a quick read, I am Just a Person by Tig Notaro.

I first saw Tig on the Ellen Show. She is hilarious and very very dry! She rarely smile, but you laugh so hard! She was doing her book tour and TV show tour at the time, so I thought I would check her book out.

From Amzon:
In the span of four months in 2012, Tig Notaro was hospitalized for a debilitating intestinal disease called C. diff, her mother unexpectedly died, she went through a breakup, and then she was diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer. Now, the wildly popular star takes stock of that no good, very bad year—a difficult yet astonishing period in which tragedy turned into absurdity and despair transformed into joy. An inspired combination of the deadpan silliness of her comedy and the open-hearted vulnerability that has emerged in the wake of that dire time, I’m Just a Person is a moving and often hilarious look at this very brave, very funny woman’s journey into the darkness and her thrilling return from it.

You really start to think how much can a person handle and she talks all about how she can’t and doesn’t want to handle it all. Her emotions are raw…fetal position in a car crying, staying in bed for a week after devastating news and so much more that is honestly written about in this book. She does not sugar coat anything or say how blessed she is about so-and-so or I should be happy because I still can, have or it could be worse. She writes how she feels and I believe it is how we all would feel if we were just honest for 30 seconds.

It is written in her “dead pan” voice, but you hear the humor in the story, too (especially when spotting Santa Claus!) I would give this book a 4 out of 5 stars. Enjoy!

Hello!

With jack having the flu and wanting me to be there for him, (How can I not when he asks, “Mom. Can you please stay with me?”) I was able to finish up a book that I have been reading…My Name is Mary Sutter by Robin Oliveira.

From Amazon:
In this stunning first novel, Mary Sutter is a brilliant, head­strong midwife from Albany, New York, who dreams of becoming a surgeon. Determined to overcome the prejudices against women in medicine-and eager to run away from her recent heartbreak- Mary leaves home and travels to Washington, D.C. to help tend the legions of Civil War wounded. Under the guidance of William Stipp and James Blevens-two surgeons who fall unwittingly in love with Mary’s courage, will, and stubbornness in the face of suffering-and resisting her mother’s pleas to return home to help with the birth of her twin sister’s baby, Mary pursues her medical career in the desperately overwhelmed hospitals of the capital.

If you enjoy reading books that are set in the Civil War era, then you will fully enjoy this book and all its history woven in the story about President Lincoln and his generals along with Dorothy Dix. I am not a huge fan of this era, but I must say I did enjoy the book. Admittedly, I skipped over a lot of the history parts of the book, which may have been why I got lost at times reading.

What I did like about the story were the parts that showed Mary’s determination to become a surgeon and the gruesome events she finds herself thrown into, by choice. It describes in some detail how horrific wars aftermath is (thousands of bodies laying on the field that it became impossible to walk between and Mary found herself stepping on the fallen soldiers, some suddenly grabbing at her)  and how barbaric the surgeries, mostly amputations, were preformed during the Civil War. How little medicine was available and absolutely no sanitary conditions what so ever. The spreading of diseases through the post-op soldiers and the burning question of why was that happening.

There is a love triangle which adds some what to the story, but not much, due to Mary seeming oblivious to these men, which at times I found confusing.  Her first love interest left her heartbroken, which I didn’t realize until I read a review. I thought maybe she was upset, but not heartbroken. The other two love interests I wondered, does he love her, yea no…must be the other two, nope, must be these guys. So I wouldn’t read this book if you are expecting or wanting a love story It’s really not there.

So, overall, I would say this book is good, but not great. I know some people loved this book, but I think they are probably better Civil War reads out there.

I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

Welcome Back!

I have finished a couple “quick reads” the last couple of weeks.
Let me share…

Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan

From Amazon:
An award-winning memoir and instant New York Times bestseller that goes far beyond its riveting medical mystery, Brain on Fire is the powerful account of one woman’s struggle to recapture her identity.

When twenty-four-year-old Susannah Cahalan woke up alone in a hospital room, strapped to her bed and unable to move or speak, she had no memory of how she’d gotten there. Days earlier, she had been on the threshold of a new, adult life: at the beginning of her first serious relationship and a promising career at a major New York newspaper. Now she was labeled violent, psychotic, a flight risk. What happened?

In a swift and breathtaking narrative, Susannah tells the astonishing true story of her descent into madness, her family’s inspiring faith in her, and the lifesaving diagnosis that nearly didn’t happen. “A fascinating look at the disease that . . . could have cost this vibrant, vital young woman her life” (People), Brain on Fire is an unforgettable exploration of memory and identity, faith and love, and a profoundly compelling tale of survival and perseverance that is destined to become a classic.

I read this review on Amazon and it sums up exactly what I was thinking:
What makes this book so terrifying is its reality. Witnessing Susannah’s decent into her bizarre illness is effing frightening, but what’s even more disconcerting is that people throughout history have probably suffered from her condition but have been misdiagnosed as autistic, schizophrenic, or even possessed. This type of autoimmune disorder is becoming more identifiable, but much about it still remains a mystery, especially since the broad range of symptoms so resemble mental illness.

Susannah story is amazing, due to how the doctors finally diagnos what was really happening with her brain, that she wasn’t crazy, wasn’t bi-polar, wasn’t a recovering alcoholic. It is also scary due to how she was lucky to have the proper diagnosis while many people are institutionalized due to improper diagnosis, and that it could happen to anyone.

While she was in the throws of the disease, Susannah actually had to piece the story together by doing interviews of the doctors, nurses and people around her because she remembers nothing during that time. The insights and notes that her friends and family share with her during this time, add to the gut wrenching heart break that those who love her endure  and to the story itself.

I would give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars.

The second book that I finished is called The Girl Before by Rena Olsen

From Good Reads:
In this powerful psychological suspense debut, when a woman’s life is shattered, she is faced with a devastating question: What if everything she thought was normal and good and true . . . wasn’t?

Clara Lawson is torn from her life in an instant. Without warning, her home is invaded by armed men, and she finds herself separated from her beloved husband and daughters. The last thing her husband yells to her is to say nothing.

In chapters that alternate between past and present, the novel slowly unpeels the layers of Clara’s fractured life. We see her growing up, raised with her sisters by the stern Mama and Papa G, becoming a poised and educated young woman, falling desperately in love with the forbidden son of her adoptive parents. We see her now, sequestered in an institution, questioned by men and women who call her a different name—Diana—and who accuse her husband of unspeakable crimes. As recollections of her past collide with new revelations, Clara must question everything she thought she knew, to come to terms with the truth of her history and to summon the strength to navigate her future.

That catches you attention, doesn’t it! Well, it takes about 100 pages to figure out what is going on. You know it’s not good, you know it’s not legal, you think you might have an idea, but I was never 100% sure what was “officially” happening, until they finally told me! Also, in the first 100 pages, Clara does not talk to anyone and that gets old…yep, we understand that you aren’t going to talk…yep, got it…okay, not going to talk.

Also, the chapters flip back and forth from then and now. At times, you need to pay attention to the “then” because it is not told in chronological order, but order of importance to what is happen in the “now” chapters.

After the first 100-140 pages, it gets going, but it is very dark. Some books I just cannot read or stomach, especially when it comes to abduction/cruelty to children, extreme manipulation, degradation, sex trafficking, brain-washing and willful ignorance, and yes, this book does have all that, which was why this book was a tough read at times

Though, I must say that the character in the book, Clara does not understand that these things/act/happenings are not “normal”, due to having grown up in this manner and knowing nothing else (though at times, she does question what is happening around her.) So, what do you do, when you start to realize that such things are not normal, but actually cruel acts and the people enforcing and doing these acts deserve to be punished themselves.  So, the book actually takes on a survivor story. Again, just to warn you, it is a dark book, but I would give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Side note: the author lives in Des Moines!

Hello!

Yesterday I finally finished a book that I have been reading for some time, I am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes.

The book Jacket:
A breakneck race against time…and an implacable enemy.
An anonymous young woman murdered in a run-down hotel, all identifying characteristics dissolved by acid.
A father publicly beheaded in the blistering heat of a Saudi Arabian public square.
A notorious Syrian biotech expert found eyeless in a Damascus junkyard.
Smoldering human remains on a remote mountainside in Afghanistan.
A flawless plot to commit an appalling crime against humanity.
One path links them all, and only one man can make the journey.
Pilgrim

From Good Reads:
The man who calls himself Pilgrim has a long history in secret operations. He is pressed into service to apprehend a Saudi Arabian dude who has manufactured a “homemade apocalypse”.  All by his little old self he made it. No secret terrorist cells or Al-Qaeda. Just one way too brilliant guy who has been planning for many years to destroy America.. There’s a whole lot of other stuff going on, including an investigation of a murder in NYC, but it’s all incorporated into the main story arc.

I Am Pilgrim has got it all. It starts off with an expertly described ghastly murder scene of a young woman found dead in a bath of acid in a dingy hotel called The Eastside Inn. I couldn’t believe where this beginning took me. Hayes has managed to weave a plot that includes the beheading of a man in a Saudi Arabian public square, an adopted child who becomes an agent in an organization that doesn’t exist, a NY city hero cop, a boy with Downs Syndrome, the death of a wealthy playboy, religion, love, honor, and a terrorist plot that will eradicate millions in the US and that’s only the half of it. He pulls this off in a hair raising adventure all over the Mideast and back which at times pushes the limits but doesn’t spoil the ride. Just thank heavens someone’s on our side.

If you look at the reviews to this book, people either love it or hate it. I can see why. It is a 600 page book and at times I thought…where is this even going and what about this part of the story line. Well, all the different stories do come together and are nicely wrapped up. The first 150 pages are amazing and the last 150 pages are amazing. The in-between tells the story and can get rather draw out, but sometimes I love a book with lots of detail! This book falls into that category…lots of detail and I I enjoyed it all! Other reviewers couldn’t stand all the detail and stopped half way through.

Other things that people did not like about the book was that every woman he met was curvy, big chested and very beautiful. Well, two were models and the other was a “decoy” so to say. I guess I never picked up on all that.

Reviewers were also turned off by how the Muslim characters were portrayed in the story, especially with everything going on in the world. Understandable. Though the main character is one Muslim man, going after America with no affiliations with any organization. He is often referred to as a “first timer” with no records due to being a loner. How this man goes about years and years of planning to carry off his plan is terrifying. With everything going on in the world, I think this book lays out how “easy” it is to do “illegal” things, how patient people can be, how witty people can be and the lengths people will go to carry out their ultimate plan. That is where the author lays out such detail an makes it very believable and terrifying. The author makes it seem and I believed, this plan could be carried out tomorrow.

It is definitely a spy book and while he goes on to share how intelligent he is, but (thankfully) there isn’t  scene after scene of him going against enemies, gun fights, knife fights and wining each time. Also (thankfully) there is not a love story or interest or save the damsel in distress. It is a story…a long one at that, with lots of details, but one that I really enjoyed with a satisfying ending!

I would give this a 4.5 out of 5
(though I do know some will throw the book across the room and say that i am crazy!)

Welcome Back!

My reading has been in the slumps lately. I have been book hopping from book to book like no other. I just cannot find on that will keep my interest, though I have managed to finish two quick reads.

The first book I read was Harlan Coben’s Home.

This is the 11-12th book in the Myron Boulton series. Oops. Didn’t know that. So, I would highly suggest that you read the other books in the series to enjoy Home. A friend read it, who follows the series, and said it was like catching up with old friends and he really loved the book. I, on the other hand, thought the book told a lot about these “old friends” that I really had no interest in, because I didn’t know their back stories. If you follow the series, my understanding is that you will enjoy this story. If you do not follow the series, I would skip this one until reading the others in the series.

The next book I finished was
You Will Know Me
by Megan Abbott

Wow. This book is disturbing on many different levels.

Devon Knox is a gymnast, a good one. Her dream is the Olympics, and her parents make it theirs, too — practices and equipment and a second mortgage to pay for it all. And then, the handsome boyfriend of her coach’s niece, who always helped around the gym, holding doors for the moms, digging retainers out of the foam pit, is killed in a hit-and-run.  Devon’s mom Katie, who narrates most of the book, begins to take a harder look at her family: Her blank-eyed daughter, 4’10” and muscled with legs like the trunks of trees. Her overworked husband, who does everything for Devon, for her chance at the Olympics.

abbot thrusts the reader into a full immersion into this world, and it is incredibly effective. the book is primarily delivered through katie’s perspective, so it’s technically an outsider’s experience, but she’s supplanted so much of her own life to focus on devon’s career, she’s as tunnel-visioned as devon, and the scene where she goes to devon’s school and sees her, for the first time in ages, among regular teens instead of other gymnasts, is shockingly powerful.

The theme about greatness requiring great sacrifices and the question about should those sacrifices be made at any cost is explored in this book, which at times I found disturbing.  Devon might be able to do something that very few can, but does that mean she should have had to give up a normal childhood and teenage experiences? Devon is at the gym as much a possible. She doesn’t have “normal” relationships, nor does she do “normal” teenage things…but, she is following her dream or is it the dream of everyone around her?  I found myself thinking she didn’t even know how to act in teenage situations. How will this effect her future life?

Is she doing this because it’s her dream or because so many adults around her have their own reasons for wanting her to succeed? It is insane about what the adults around her do and act so they can “help” Devon get to the Olympics. They spend money on the gym, which I saw as buying a piece of Devon. One mom decides that Devon should switch gyms and takes her to a different gym, because she paid for the new pit in the gym.  If Devon wins, they can have the best coaches, the best facilities…so about them and not Devon. 

Should the Knoxes have dedicated so much of themselves towards a single goal of one child, or does a parent of a kid with an extraordinary talent have a responsibility to do anything to see it fulfilled? I think Katie, the mother of Devon, knows this is all insane and not “normal” for lack of a better word. But, just think of all the amazing things that will happen if Devon makes it to the Olympics…for her, her family and Oh! Devon, too. And by the way, Devon has a brother Drew that has grown up in the gym. What “normal” childhood does Drew have?

So, not only is this book a murder mystery, but also brings up lots of questions about the length that parents go to keep the dream of their child alive or is it the dream of their own they are keeping alive?

The beginning of this book is slow, but hang in there, it does start to twist and turn. I would give this book 3.5 stars.

Hello!

I just finished the book
Redemption Road
by John Hart

Oh. My. Word. Go. Get. It.

Redemption Road is an easy to read novel. Yet, it’s so well-written, it’s hard to put down.  The book is filled with horrific imagery of women being abducted, tortured and murdered. But from this ghastly premise rise two remarkable female characters.

One is Elizabeth Black, a North Carolina police detective who may soon face excessive-force and murder charges. After she came to the rescue of an 18-year-old kidnapping victim, the culprits suffered agonizingly slow deaths, 18 bullets emptied into the two men. Hart’s other memorable character is Channing Shore, the waiflike victim who refuses to stay a victim. She becomes a resilient survivor.

There’s a secret that bonds these women. Each is willing to sacrifice herself to save the other. Their special relationship is the one redeeming aspect of Redemption Road that makes it worth finishing.

There’s More…A boy with a gun waits for the man who killed his mother.After thirteen years in prison, a good cop walks free. But for how long?  And deep in the forest, on the altar of an abandoned church, the unthinkable has just happened…

The first paragraph makes this book sound horrible, which it is, but it is not graphic violence with details. It’s more of what your mind comes up with…

With that said, it is a slow read in the manner that I read almost every word of the book. I didn’t want to miss a thing. I didn’t know how all the  characters and their problems/issues/secrets were going to intertwine together, but boy do they. I don’t know how John Hart keeps all of it straight or how he was going to tie up all the loose ends, but he does in in such a non-cheesy way.

I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars.

I have put two other books of his on my reading list: The Lost Child and The Iron House.  Both have gotten amazing reviews.

 

Hello!

I started the book “The Couple Next Door” by Shari Lapena on Wednesday.
I didn’t want to stop reading it, but I had other things going on Thursday and Friday. So, on Saturday, while having my morning coffee, I sat down to read…

And I didn’t stop until I finished it! Then I was bummed it was done. There are so many twists and turns and when you think the mom did it, then you think the dad did it and then you think…well, maybe it was the mom. So good! I can’t give say much about it because I would give too much away, so I will share with you what is on the book jacket:

Anne and Marco Conti seem to have it all—a loving relationship, a wonderful home, and their beautiful baby, Cora. But one night when they are at a dinner party next door, a terrible crime is committed. Suspicion immediately focuses on the parents. But the truth is a much more complicated story.

Inside the curtained house, an unsettling account of what actually happened unfolds. Detective Rasbach knows that the panicked couple is hiding something. Both Anne and Marco  soon discover that the other is keeping secrets, secrets they’ve kept for years.

What follows is the nerve-racking unraveling of a family—a chilling tale of  deception, duplicity, and unfaithfulness that will keep you breathless until the final shocking twist.

I would give this book a 5 out of 5 stars due to how many times it twists!