Review: You Go First by Erin Entrada Kelly

Funny and poignant, You Go First by 2018 Newbery Medalist Erin Entrada Kelly is an engaging exploration of family, spelling, art, bullying, and the ever-complicated world of middle school friendships. Erin Entrada Kelly’s perfectly pitched tween voice will resonate with fans of Kate DiCamillo’s Raymie Nightingale and Thanhha Lai’s Inside Out and Back Again.

 Twelve-year-old Charlotte Lockard and eleven-year-old Ben Boxer are separated by more than a thousand miles. On the surface, their lives seem vastly different—Charlotte lives near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, while Ben is in the small town of Lanester, Louisiana. Charlotte wants to be a geologist and keeps a rock collection in her room. Ben is obsessed with Harry Potter, presidential history, and recycling. But the two have more in common than they think. They’re both highly gifted. They’re both experiencing family turmoil. And they both sit alone at lunch.

 Over the course of a week, Charlotte and Ben—online friends connected only by a Scrabble game—will intersect in unexpected ways as they struggle to navigate the turmoil of middle school. You Go First reminds us that no matter how hard it is to keep our heads above troubled water, we never struggle alone.

The acclaimed author of Blackbird Fly, The Land of Forgotten Girls, and Hello, Universe writes with an authentic, humorous, and irresistible voice. This engaging and character-driven story about growing up and finding your place in the world will appeal to fans of Rebecca Stead and Rita Williams-Garcia.

Paperback, 288 pages

 Published April 10th, 2018

 by Greenwillow Books

****

I was first introduced to Erin Entrada Kelly with her Newberry award-winning book Hello, Universe. I loved her writing, her likable characters, and prose that kept me entertained.

You Go First touches on many relevant social issues - bullying, acceptance, divorce, and health that showed the struggle kids go through and how they dealt with them. With feelings of loneliness, guilt, and fear this book brings these issues to lite. This isn't a doom and gloom read, with the middle-grade reader as its targeted audience this adult found it comical at times, with an authentic plot and entertaining.

I can’t say if all issues are resolved by the end of the book, but then in real life it is a process, it’s the self-discovery and confidence that propels one forward a step at a time.

Definitely a book and author I recommend.

Review: Many Sparrows by Lori Benton

Either she and her children would emerge from that wilderness together, or none of them would…

 In 1774, the Ohio-Kentucky frontier pulses with rising tension and brutal conflicts as Colonists push westward and encroach upon Native American territories. The young Inglesby family is making the perilous journey west when an accident sends Philip back to Redstone Fort for help, forcing him to leave his pregnant wife Clare and their four-year-old son Jacob on a remote mountain trail. When Philip does not return and Jacob disappears from the wagon under the cover of darkness, Clare awakens the next morning to find herself utterly alone, in labor and wondering how she can to recover her son...especially when her second child is moments away from being born.

 Clare will face the greatest fight of her life, as she struggles to reclaim her son from the Shawnee Indians now holding him captive. But with the battle lines sharply drawn, Jacob’s life might not be the only one at stake. When frontiersman Jeremiah Ring comes to her aid, can the stranger convince Clare that recovering her son will require the very thing her anguished heart is unwilling to do—be still, wait and let God fight this battle for them?

 Kindle Edition, 402 pages

Audiobook 14 hours, 48 minutes

 Published August 29th, 2017

by WaterBrook

****

This is my first time reading anything by Lori Benton, she is an author that comes highly recommended for her Christian historical fiction with characters and events out of the pages of history.

I went the audio route with this one and would have loved some author notes at the end. Just to know what was historical vs fiction. I am familiar with Logan and the Yellow Creek Massacre which has a background place here. I found the author captures not just the time but characters perfectly, the culture and way of life shows what the Native Americans went through.  Lori Benton's knowledge of this time is evident and shines through in her writing.

Many Sparrows is an emotional read, first the disappearance of her husband and then son one can’t help feeling Clare’s frustration and despair at her plight. I was glad for many dog walks as I was anxious for the outcome.

Lori Benton books are now gracing my TBR pile. I recommend her books to those that are interested in Colonial America and just a great HF to get lost in the pages of.

My audiobook obtained via Scribd

Review: The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London’s most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word.

 Alicia’s refusal to talk, or give any kind of explanation, turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety. The price of her art skyrockets, and she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the tabloids and spotlight at the Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London.

 Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the opportunity to work with Alicia. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations—a search for the truth that threatens to consume him....

Kobo, 323 pages

Published February 5th, 2019

by Celadon Books

*****

As much as I love a good psychological thriller/mystery I will admit to being a hard sell. Is it plausible? Is the ending rushed for the sake of finishing the story off? Are there twists that are unforeseeable and comes out of left field that just doesn’t fit?  The Silent Patient was a whim read for me, it became available at the library (via Overdrive) and was an impulse loan. It was a classic case of the book picking me and I have no regrets at all! I loved it! It fit exactly what I want in a psychological mystery.

Debut novelist Alex Michaelides wove a story that kept me guessing and blindsided me with its ending. I love it when a book does that. The characters are flawed, the plot addicting and the pacing was perfect and really I’m not going to much more.

Just be forewarned this is an addicting read and while I thought my 2 days to finish was fast I’m sure others finished faster.

This is the authors' debut which has me anxious (and a little nervous) for what he has next, I mean The Silent Patient is mighty big boots to top.

As for the cover, not a fan, which might be why this book wasn't really on my radar.

Audio Review: Never Cry Wolf: The Amazing True Story of Life Among Arctic Wolves by Farley Mowat

More than a half-century ago the naturalist Farley Mowat was sent to investigate why wolves were killing arctic caribou. Mowat's account of the summer he lived in the frozen tundra alone—studying the wolf population and developing a deep affection for the wolves (who were of no threat to caribou or man)—is today celebrated as a classic of nature writing, at once a tale of remarkable adventures and indelible record of myths and magic of wolves.

 Paperback, 176 pages

Audiobook, 4 hours 51 minutes

 Published by Dell (first published 1963)

****

A recent road trip had hubby and I listening to what he considers a classic.  I'm not really sure if this is classified as fiction, non-fiction, whether its kid lit or what?  Written to give the impression the author went through this experience himself lends itself to non-fiction.  The beginning part came across as kid lit, it was funny, adventurous and entertaining.  However, the end part got serious and for kids could be upsetting.

All in all, I found the audio quite nice to listen to and wish that more of Farley Mowat books were available in that format.

Audiobook via Scribd and part of my 2019 reading off my shelf challenge.

Review: Whose Waves These Are by Amanda Dykes

In the wake of WWII, a grieving fisherman submits a poem to a local newspaper: a rallying cry for hope, purpose . . . and rocks. Send me a rock for the person you lost, and I will build something life-giving. When the poem spreads farther than he ever intended, Robert Bliss's humble words change the tide of a nation. Boxes of rocks inundate the tiny, coastal Maine town, and he sets his calloused hands to work, but the building halts when tragedy strikes.

 Decades later, Annie Bliss is summoned back to Ansel-by-the-Sea when she learns her Great-Uncle Robert, the man who became her refuge during the hardest summer of her youth, is now the one in need of help. What she didn't anticipate was finding a wall of heavy boxes hiding in his home. Long-ago memories of stone ruins on a nearby island trigger her curiosity, igniting a fire in her anthropologist soul to uncover answers.

 She joins forces with the handsome and mysterious harbor postman, and all her hopes of mending the decades-old chasm in her family seem to point back to the ruins. But with Robert failing fast, her search for answers battles against time, a foe as relentless as the ever-crashing waves upon the sea.

Paperback, 368 pages

Published April 30th 2019

by Bethany House Publishers

*****

Whose Waves Are These is an intricately woven story that was pictorial with a quaint setting and an interesting cast of characters.

Spanning many decades this book was written in dual time periods that had me captivated with both of them equally, and I’ll admit that isn’t always the case as I usually prefer one over the other.

This is the author’s debut and I was blown away when I found that out. She has a style that had me mesmerized with her attention to detail, everything fit into place and was there for a reason. The story of the rocks was unique and as everything began to click together it just made me love this book all the more. The characters were real and the plot emotional as the war leaves its mark on this little place called Ansel-by-The-Sea.

Whose Waves These Are is not just a story of secrets, heartache, and guilt, but also of forgiveness, hope, and healing. It's an emotional story that had me waiting a day or so before I could begin another book.

I anxiously await more books by Amanda Dykes and highly recommend this one.

Not only is this book part of my 2019 reading off my shelf challenge but also my best of 2019 list.

Review: The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson

In 1936, tucked deep into the woods of Troublesome Creek, KY, lives blue-skinned 19-year-old Cussy Carter, the last living female of the rare Blue People ancestry. The lonely young Appalachian woman joins the historical Pack Horse Library Project of Kentucky and becomes a librarian, riding across slippery creek beds and up treacherous mountains on her faithful mule to deliver books and other reading material to the impoverished hill people of Eastern Kentucky.

 Along her dangerous route, Cussy, known to the mountain folk as Bluet, confronts those suspicious of her damselfly-blue skin and the government's new book program. She befriends hardscrabble and complex fellow Kentuckians, and is fiercely determined to bring comfort and joy, instill literacy, and give to those who have nothing, a bookly respite, a fleeting retreat to faraway lands.

 The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek is a powerful message about how the written word affects people--a story of hope and heartbreak, raw courage and strength splintered with poverty and oppression, and one woman's chances beyond the darkly hollows. Inspired by the true and historical blue-skinned people of Kentucky and the brave and dedicated Kentucky Pack Horse library service, The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek showcases a bold and unique tale of the Pack horse Librarians in literary novels — a story of fierce strength and one woman's belief that books can carry us anywhere — even back home.

 Paperback, 308 pages

Published May 7th 2019

by Sourcebooks Landmark

**** 1/2

My first novel by Kim Michelle Richardson was a revealing discovery in a part of history that is new to me. With a name like Troublesome Creek I honestly thought it was made up but low and behold it is a real place in the state of Kentucky. The year is 1936 and for most of this book, it honestly felt like the 1800s. The atmosphere was primitive and really showed a struggle for survival.

Between the Pack Horse Library Project (thanks to Roosevelt) and people that are actually blue, I was drawn right into this story with its unknown pieces of history. Cussy was a gutsy gal with her determination and drive to deliver books on time and connect with those she came in contact with on her trusty mule, Junia. Yes even Junia was a wonderfully player in this book. She isn’t much welcomed in town because the color blue is still not white, she is still colored and acceptance is impossible.

There are many layers to this slow-paced story and yes sometimes a slow-paced book is a great read. My first time reading Richardson and I loved her style. Her character development was spot on as was the setting. I mean I was nervous as Cussy rode mile after mile alone in the bush which is where Junia the mule shines through.

Her job as a librarian kept her going, her love of books was infectious. To read how the joys of a new book brought such happiness to people in the bleakest of situations confirmed Cussy of the importance of her job. But it was more than a job for Cussy, it was her life and I felt she would have done it whether paid or not, it was the people that kept her going.

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek is an emotional story, to know Cussy and see how she was treated was hard to read about. There were other aspects of this book that brought the era to life.

Definitely a book and author I recommend.

This book is part of my 2019 reading off my shelf challenge

Review: On a Summer Tide (Three Sisters Island #1) by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Sometimes love hurts--and sometimes it can heal in the most unexpected way.

 Camden Grayson loves her challenging career, but the rest of her life could use some improvement. "Moving on" is Cam's mantra. But there's a difference, her two sisters insist, between one who moves on . . . and one who keeps moving.

 Cam's full-throttle life skids to a stop when her father buys a remote island off the coast of Maine. Paul Grayson has a dream to breathe new life into the island--a dream that includes reuniting his estranged daughters. Certain Dad has lost his mind, the three sisters rush to the island. To Cam's surprise, the slow pace of island life appeals to her, along with the locals--and one in particular. Sam Walker, the scruffy island schoolteacher harbors more than a few surprises.

 With On a Summer Tide, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher begins a brand-new contemporary romance series that is sure to delight her fans and draw new ones.

 Paperback, 320 pages

Published April 30th, 2019

by Fleming H. Revell Company

****

This is the perfect beach read! An island off the coast of Maine plays central to the start of this series.

I can say now that Suzanne Woods Fisher is not a new author to me, I’ve read a number of her books and thoroughly enjoyed each of them. I didn’t realize this was the start of a new series and by the end of this book, I knew I wanted more. The island of Niswi Nummissis is Algonquian for Three Sisters and an impulse purchase for Paul convinces his daughter that he is losing it. Of course they come to the rescue and so begins the story.

I love the author's writing style, she placed me in the setting, gave me a wonderful tour of the island, I was introduced to wild and wacky characters along the way and now wish to stay a week or so at Camp Kicking Moose.

I have a feeling that each book will pertain to a different daughter and this time around it’s the oldest, Camden. With snippets to the past, the author showed how she grew to be the woman and mother she is. That being said the island works its magic on all three sisters, it would make a perfect book club read and enlist lots of discussion.

Some might find it a little predictable but there were a couple twists and turns I didn’t anticipate and the journey was nice.

This book is part of my 2019 reading off my shelf challenge.

Review: Bethlehem by Karen Kelly

With the atmospheric storytelling of Kate Morton and Lisa Wingate, Karen Kelly weaves a shattering debut about two intertwined families and the secrets that they buried during the gilded, glory days of Bethlehem, PA.

 A young woman arrives at the grand ancestral home of her husband’s family, hoping to fortify her cracking marriage. But what she finds is not what she expected: tragedy haunts the hallways, whispering of heartache and a past she never knew existed.

 Inspired by the true titans of the steel-boom era, Bethlehem is a story of temptation and regret, a story of secrets and the cost of keeping them, a story of forgiveness. It is the story of two complex women—thrown together in the name of family—who, in coming to understand each other, come finally to understand themselves.

Kindle, 304 pages

Published July 9th, 2019 

 by St. Martin's Press

***

I finished this book a couple days ago and still struggling with my feelings. I was somewhat apprehensive since the blurb compares Kelly’s writing style to that of Ian McEwan and I’m not a fan of his. But I found the blurb intriguing effort, it’s the lesser-known bits of history I love reading around and Bethlehem Steel fits the bill. Also when Kate Morton's name is included I take notice - being a HUGE fan of hers.

I started this book a couple times before finally finishing it. I’ll confess that I struggled, especially when I got halfway through. I was bored, being unable to connect with the characters and really finding the point to the story was getting to me. Shortly after that though things changed dramatically and a nice little story came through.

Given the title, I anticipated more involvement of the steel industry and that didn’t happen. 

My thanks to the publisher (via Netgalley) for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Audio Review: The Favorite Daughter by Kaira Rouda

From the author of the page-turning domestic suspense Best Day Ever, comes another gripping novel of psychological suspense set in an upscale Southern California community, for fans of B.A. Paris and Shari Lapena.

 The perfect home. The perfect family. The perfect lie.

 Jane Harris lives in a sparkling home in an oceanfront gated community in Orange County. It’s a place that seems too beautiful to be touched by sadness. But exactly one year ago, Jane’s oldest daughter, Mary, died in a tragic accident and Jane has been grief-stricken ever since. Lost in a haze of anti-depressants, she’s barely even left the house. Now that’s all about to change.

 It’s time for Jane to reclaim her life and her family. Jane’s husband, David, has planned a memorial service for Mary and three days later, their youngest daughter, Betsy, graduates high school. Yet as Jane reemerges into the world, it’s clear her family has changed without her. Her husband has been working long days—and nights—at the office. Her daughter seems distant, even secretive. And her beloved Mary was always such a good girl—dutiful and loving. But does someone know more about Mary, and about her last day, than they’ve revealed?

 The bonds between mothers and daughters, and husbands and wives should never be broken. But you never know how far someone will go to keep a family together…

 Hardcover, 368 pages

Audiobook, 9 hours, 31 minutes

Published May 21st, 2019

 by Graydon House

****

I started reading this book and then decided that it would be perfect in audio format, I’m glad I went that route because I am not sure I would have enjoyed it as much as I did if I’d read it.

With Jane Harris basically talking directly to me it didn’t take long to know she is one to steer clear of - she’s kinda scary, well...not kinda, let’s just say I wouldn’t want to get on her wrong side. The author did a great job with her characterization, it wasn’t hard to see why she didn’t have very many friends and I wasn’t sure if it was because she was grieving the death of her daughter or if this was just the way she was all the time. She was neurotic, paranoid and suspicious of everything it was no wonder she had a rocky relationship with her family.

I started this book at 9 AM and thankfully I had some driving, dog walking and cleaning to do finishing it off in the evening, I just had to know what was going on.

Labeled psychological thriller it was not as action-packed as I thought it might be but as the story developed I was sucked right it, with some surprises along the way and a few parts somewhat predictable I really enjoyed the ride.

My thanks to the publisher (via Netgalley) for a digital copy though I went the audio route via Scribd.

Review: Meet Me in Monaco by Hazel Gaynor & Heather Webb

Set in the 1950s against the backdrop of Grace Kelly’s whirlwind romance and glamorous wedding to Prince Rainier of Monaco, New York Times bestselling author Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb take the reader on an evocative sun-drenched journey along the Côte d’Azur in this page-turning novel of passion, fate, and second-chances.

 Movie stars and paparazzi flock to Cannes for the glamorous film festival, but Grace Kelly, the biggest star of all, wants only to escape from the flash-bulbs. When struggling perfumer Sophie Duval shelters Miss Kelly in her boutique, fending off a persistent British press photographer, James Henderson, a bond is forged between the two women and sets in motion a chain of events that stretches across thirty years of friendship, love, and tragedy.

 James Henderson cannot forget his brief encounter with Sophie Duval. Despite his guilt at being away from his daughter, he takes an assignment to cover the wedding of the century, sailing with Grace Kelly’s wedding party on the SS Constitution from New York. In Monaco, as wedding fever soars and passions and tempers escalate, James and Sophie—like Princess Grace—must ultimately decide what they are prepared to give up for love.

Kindle, 384 pages

Expected publication: July 23rd, 2019

by William Morrow Paperbacks

***

Three years ago I was in Cannes as they were preparing for the Film Festival as well as Monaco where I paid my respects at Grace Kelly’s graveside. So it only stands to reason that I jumped when the opportunity presented itself to read this one. Also, I really enjoyed the authors' previous collaboration Last Christmas in Paris.

Beginning in 1955 with Cannes, the French Riveria is alive as stars of Hollywood make their appearance while photographers hover and hide behind walls vying for the best pics. With a chance meeting, Grace and Sophie are introduced and a friendship is formed.

Meet Me in Monaco is the perfect beach read, it was quick, a little predictable but entertaining.  I learned a little about what Kelly went through but this book was focused more on Sophie - her life, relationship with both Kelly and photographer James. I wasn’t a fan of the ending, I just felt with the flow of the story it could have ended a little different, but then that’s just my opinion. 

If you haven't had a chance to read Last Christmas in Paris, check it out, click on the cover below for my review.

My thanks to the publisher (via Edelweiss) for an advanced copy.