Show Us Your Books-December 2021

This is my first time participating in this linky (see the bottom of the post for the link); I never knew it existed until I ran across an IG post from a blogger I've followed for years. I haven't read much in the past few years; I haven't blogged much in the past few years. With some important life decisions that were made over the past year, I'm gearing up for having some time to write more after the 2022-2023 school year. (Hello, retirement!) But that's a post for another day.

At a meeting in October, a friend & I spent most of the time recommending books to each other. My local library uses Libby by Overdrive; I had no idea I could tag books I wanted to read and create a list! I really need to retire so I can get through all of these good books I now have on that list. After not spending very much time reading, it seems like since Fall Break (the first week of Oct.) all I've been doing in my spare time is read. 

But I digress. By beginning this blog post 2 hours ago, I went down a rabbit hole with Goodreads. I discovered I had 2 different accounts so I researched & imported one list into the other and deleted the old one. WHEW! All of this while having my coffee and before showering!

I read some excellent books in November. I discovered a new favorite author. She intertwines historical events to modern-day. I love it when an author really takes the time to do some heavy research and bring to light historical events that aren't well known. 

☆☆☆☆

This is my new favorite author: Lisa Wingate. I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. I borrowed this book from the library 3 times and just couldn't get into the first 2. By the 3rd time, I was enough into it that it was pretty intriguing. The modern-day involved a teacher who just began teaching in a rural high school in Louisiana. She was on a quest for her students to be interested in reading. As she learns more about the area and the people, she fights harder for her students and makes them aware of the history of the area. The past involves a former slave, her "miss", and her miss's half-sister. They are all on a quest to find family: the former slave looking for her mother and siblings, the "miss"  and the half-sister are looking for their father in order to determine wealth. The author includes actual notices in newspapers from former slaves looking for family members after the Civil War. 

 Once I found my interest, I was enthralled with what all of the girls were going through and how it would end. It just took me a couple of tries to be vested in it.  

☆☆☆☆☆

Another book by Lisa Wingate, I had no difficulty being interested in this one. A big-time editor in NYC finds a partial manuscript on her desk on her first day on a new job. She reads it and it consumes her. There is no reference to who wrote it or where it came from. After coming to the conclusion that it was sent from NC, near her home, she researches until she has a pretty good idea about who the author is. She ends up back in Appalachia, where she grew up. She has to confront her past and her family, as well as the cycle of poverty that is prevalent there. The past includes a Melungeon girl and a wealthy boy from Charleston who is taking the winter to learn the ways of the people of Appalachia. There is a bit of an underlying love story that occurs in both parts of the book which makes it a little cheesy and predictable. This book reminds me so much of so many kids I know. The cycle is there and they have no idea that can break it. 

☆☆☆☆☆

First let me say: OH.MY. I absolutely could not put this book down. I read it in just a few days (3, I think), every spare minute I had. Based on historical events, Eva is a Jew living in Paris during WWII. She and her mother escape to a mountain village where she is told they can stay until they are able to cross into Switzerland. But to get to the village, she has to forge papers so they can travel. Once in the village, she becomes a forger for the Resistance. Modern-day Eva is a librarian in Florida, her husband has passed away and her grown son is extremely busy with his job. She has never shared her past with him. The book begins with Eva seeing a picture in the local paper of a man in Berlin holding a book. He is in possession of books the Nazis confiscated during the war and, for some reason, did not end up being burned. She recognizes the book right away and knows she has to fly to Berlin to retrieve the book. Spoiler alert: This is the way a book is supposed to end! 😉

I am obsessed with this time period. There were so many ordinary people who did such extraordinary things to save not only themselves but others. It didn't matter if they were Christian or Jew, they were people.  This is just another example of the unsung heroes who saved many people from the clutches of the Nazis. 

Click on the image below to be taken to the linky to add more books to your "need to read" list.

Goodreads Reviews of Two Books in the Health and Happiness Series

Katie Cross is one of my favorite authors. It didn't take much to hook me with her The Network Series. I describe these books as a kind of "Harry Potter meets Hunger Games". Even though it's in the Young Adult genre, I found the books to be extremely interesting. If I've piqued your interest, the first book in the series (Miss Mabel's School for Girls) is available at no cost in the Kindle format. You can grab your copy here. You can read my "mini-review" of the series here.
Her new series is The Health and Happiness Series. The characters are 4 women who find each other initially for the purpose of losing weight. 2 women are 20-somethings, 1 is divorced with 2 children, and the other is a widow. Katie also has the first book in this series (Bon Bons to Yoga Pants) available for free in Kindle format. You'll want to grab it so you'll get to know each of the women and understand how they come together. You can snag your free copy here.

The Review: I Am Girl Power

I originally read the following book as a Wattpad book. If you aren't familiar with Wattpad, it's an app that some writers use. They will write a chapter and post it. Interaction with readers helps the writers gauge what works in a story and what doesn't. With I Am Girl Power, I found it fascinating to see the difference between where she was headed with the story on Wattpad and the final result in the book.

  I Am Girl Power by Katie Cross
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The 2nd book in The Health and Happiness Society series did not disappoint. I couldn't put the book down until I finished.
Megan's world has just turned upside down. She had the worst weekend of her life, so her twin brothers' offer to work with them at their newly acquired camp couldn't come at a better time. Even though it wasn't exactly what she was expecting, the summer gives her time to heal and make a plan.
Katie Cross' excellent writing makes you feel as though you are right there in the mountains with Megan. You can almost smell the fresh mountain air!
Great summer read!

Review: You'll Never Know

The following is a book review that appears on Goodreads. I was provided with an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review. The release date is July 18th.

  You'll Never Know by Katie Cross
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

One of my favorite authors has done it again! You'll Never Know is the third book in the Chick Lit Series. I couldn't wait to turn the page to see what happens next.
Katie Cross doesn't shy away from delving into serious matters. Real matters. Rachelle is one member of the Health & Happiness Society. She lost over 100 pounds after a devastating evening with the man of her dreams. She's on track to run her first marathon but then her plans are derailed. She is forced to dig deep into her life to find out why the marathon is so important to her and how she gets down to the bottom of her problems and starts dealing with them to become the girl she wants to be.
This book is for women of all ages. Thanks to Katie Cross' writing style, you'll hurt for Rachelle and will be her biggest cheerleader.
You'll want to start with From BonBons to Yoga Pants to meet the girls in the Health and Happiness Society. You'll be hooked!!

Completed Summer Book List 2015

I've done a lot of reading this summer. If I didn't do anything else, I read some books that have been on my shelf for a while. I really like the Young Adult Genre. When I mentioned it to the school librarian, she said that it was because they're well written;  the YA writers have to meet certain guidelines, unlike Adult Novels. Here's a run-down of the books I read:

(Click on the book to be taken to the Goodreads Page)

Books that had been on my shelf forever for a long time:

 Prisoner B-3087 (Alan Gratz) Based on a true story, this book follows Yanek as he survives 10 different concentration camps. A real page-turner, I zoomed through this book in no time. It was a tear-jerker as well. 

 Caught (Margaret Peterson Haddix) I remember MS being so enthralled with The Magic Treehouse series. I sat down one day with one of his books and didn't move until I finished it. Caught is like a YA Magic Treehouse. It is part of the Missing series, but you don't have to read all of the books to know what is going on at the beginning of this book. This book dealt with Albert Einstein and his missing daughter. Definitely historical fiction, I found it to be fascinating.

 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time (Mark Haddon) Mr. Haddon does an excellent job of getting into the mind of a young man with autism. The reasoning, the sensory deficits, and the coping were very well written. It also brought to light misunderstandings of people with autism. On top of that, it had an excellent story line! 

Books recommended by Speech Groups that I follow on Facebook & Goodreads:

  Ghost Boy (Martin Pistorius) Oh. My.  This is a book that every Speech/Language Pathologist student should read before they start working with people requiring an augmentative communication device. Martin began life as a very normal boy...until he suddenly became sick and unresponsive. He was basically written off as destined to live life in a shell until an employee of the facility saw something. Martin writes about his journey to communicate, and how communication turned his life around. All because of 1 person who believed in him. His journey is heart-wrenching, especially when he talks about how he was treated because of ignorant employees who thought he didn't have feelings & couldn't understand what was going on around him. Amazing story.

 The Rosie Project (Graeme Simsion ) A few people in the FB group talked about how this book was so incredibly funny. While there were some parts of the book that were humorous, overall I just didn't think it was as funny as they did.  Don Tillman is a professor of genetics. He also has Asperger's, but he doesn't know it. On his quest to find the perfect mate, he has made a list of requirements that he gives out so he doesn't waste his time (The Wife Project).  Then Rosie walks into his office. She doesn't meet any of the requirements on Don's list, but he is intrigued by her. Then, Rosie tells him that she wants to find her real father; this turns into The Dad Project. Interesting & good book...I just didn't think it was as funny as some others did. There is a sequel called The Rosie Effect. I'm sure I'll get around to reading that one as well.

Books that I found through other's recommendations:

 Take me With You (Catherine Ryan Hyde) This book was a very pleasant surprise. A great book to read at the beginning of the summer, the story follows August who is a recovering alcoholic teacher. (He doesn't teach people to be recovering alcoholics; he's a teacher who is a recovering alcoholic!) As he is headed to Yellowstone, his RV breaks down. The mechanic asks him to take his sons with him because he has to do jail-time and has no one to look after them. A special bond is formed, and August teaches the boys life-long lessons. Halfway through the book, the summer is over. The rest of the book has the boys growing up and rekindling the friendship with August. Truly a heartfelt book!

 A Memory of Violets: A Novel of London's Flower Sellers (Hazel Gaynor) Another book of Historical Fiction, Ms. Gaynor writes of the flower sellers in the late 1800's. She tells the story of Rosie & Florrie who, as young girls, were expected to bring money home after selling flowers. Following their mother's death, it was Florrie's responsibility to take care of Rosie, but one day they become separated. Rosie is legally blind, so she is unable to make her way back to Florrie. Florrie lives the rest of her days in Mr. Shaw's Home for Watercress and Flower Girls, but never loses hope that she will find Rosie one day. About 20 years later, Tilly begins working at the Home, and discovers the history of Florrie & Rosie. After some research and a bit of luck, she finds out what happened to Rosie. I found this book to be very interesting, especially since it is based on history. 

 The Plum Tree (Ellen Marie Wiseman)  ** spoiler alert ** This is a love story...a different kind of love story. This is the story of a love that survives as the main characters survived during one of the earth's most shameful periods in history. Once I started this book, I had a very hard time putting it down. I felt the pain of Christine (a Christian) and Isaac (a Jew) as the war came to their little village and changed the course of their lives. I could see the Nazi soldier in the attic, looking for the escapee. This book is a definite tear-jerker as their lives unfold. Ellen Marie Wiseman does an extraordinarily amazing job of weaving the tale so that the reader feels like he is right there in person, seeing the events as they take place. 

And, my latest fascination/obsession:

 The Network (Katie Cross) When I started reading Miss Mabel's School for Girls, I thought it was like a cross between Harry Potter & The Hunger Games.  By the time I finished, I had a different frame of mind.  In this book, we meet Bianca who is a 16 year old witch. She reminded me of Katniss in that she is a very strong young woman who faces a life or death situation. The series continues with Antebellum Awakening, then we get a look into each of the characters' interview with the "Watcher" , who decides what school the witches will attend, if they are accepted to any school, during The Isadora Interviews. I just finished reading Mildred's Resistance, which is a prequel to the series but just came out. The newest installment, The High Priest's Daughter comes out mid-September, and picks up where Antebellum Awakening left off. 

I love Katie's writing. I can visualize everything she writes, and could see this being made into a movie/movies. 

Have you read any of these books? If so, which ones? Did you like them as much as I did?

Winter Reading Challenge: One Book

1 book. 1 measly book. You would think with the 2 weeks we had off from school with the ice, then snow storms I would have read at least 10 books. But, no. All I managed to squeak out is 1 book. I guess that's what happens when you get hooked on discover shows on Hulu. 

My pitiful attempt at finishing the Winter Reading Challenge:

This was actually a cute book. It was light, fun, and amusing. It had me chuckling in places. The end is predictable; you knew it was going to end the way it did. I could definitely see this being made into a Lifetime movie. 

Poppy is a mess: she's getting married to a guy who comes from very intelligent parents, and at a girls afternoon out, she loses the heirloom engagement ring. And her phone is stolen. She finds a phone in the garbage can, just sitting there, so she takes it. She needs a phone to plan her wedding (and keep in touch with the hotel where she lost the ring).  The phone turns out to belong to a Personal Assistant who quit rather abruptly, and Poppy gets into all kinds of trouble answering emails and voice mails that she has no business answering. 

If you read this book, don't forget to read the footnotes...they are hilarious!

Thanks, Rebecca at Knit by God's Hand for hosting this, even though I was a HUGE slacker and only did 2 (okay, 1 1/2) posts! To see what everybody else read (and by that I mean...people actually did read!), check out her linky.

Winter Reading Challenge: Tardy for the Party

Wow. We're down to the last 2 posts for the Winter Reading Challenge, and it's my first time participating. Go, me. I don't even know where I'm supposed to start since I missed the beginning of the challenge. I guess that means I get to start where I want!

                            

Do you think I've had a Ken Follett obsession lately? I finished Winter of the World (Part 2 in the Century Trilogy) mid-December. I absolutely loved this trilogy! Edge of Eternity (Part 3) was so intense at times that I had to just set it down & digest it. That is, until the end. I was a bit disappointed that the ending was a bit rushed, and there was a huge chunk of time when the Russian & East German characters seemed to be forgotten. He could have easily made this series a 4-parter.

Eye of the Needle was also excellent. I love how he intertwines fiction with historical facts. This book was about a German spy who could have very easily changed the outcome of D-Day. It was amazing. The book was actually made into a movie that was released in 1981 with Donald Sutherland playing "Die Nadel".

After all of those long books, I wanted to a "quick read". Kristin Hannah's books are like Nicholas Sparks' books. I know it's a good book if it makes me cry, and this one was a tear-jerker.  It was hard to put down.

I would highly recommend all of these books. I would also recommend There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bell  (Lucille Colandro), The Snowy Day (Ezra Jack Keats), Snowmen at Christmas (Caralyn Buehner), Clifford's First Snow Day (Norman Bridwell), The Wild Toboggan Ride (Suzan Reid), Snowmen at Night (Caralyn Buehner), and There was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Rose (Lucille Colandro).  (Think those would count towards my Goodreads Reading Challenge?) That pretty much sums up all of the books I've read since December!

Linking up with Knit by God's Hands today!

Book Review: A Deadly Business

First, the housekeeping: 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Now for the "meat"!

Mia, a widow with 2 children, is a prosecutor for violent crimes.  Scott, her husband, was a CPA who was killed in an apparent accident.  After Mia's house alarm goes off (ending a hellish day), Charlie (a homicide detective) starts putting 2 and 2 together regarding the circumstance of Scott's death.  Was it an accident, or was it murder?

This book got my attention right off the bat.  While some of the occurrences in the book were somewhat predictable (I may have rolled my eyes when Mia found a picture of Scott with another woman), I had to know how it all tied together.  
The ending of this book was different than the books I've read this summer.   I had to slap my forehead for not figuring out a connection in the book, but that made it more interesting.  This book had so much going on in it, occurrences that happened one right after another, that it was very hard to put it down. 
 Often, if I come across typos or grammatically incorrect statements, it ruins the book for me.  I saw none of that in this book, which made reading it that much more enjoyable.
If you like a book that keeps you interested in it from cover-to-cover, as well as one that has a few surprises, then you would enjoy this book as much as I.