Friday Finds -- 5/28

Happy Friday! I am looking forward to a nice long weekend filled with sunshine and reading. My Friday Find for this week is The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters. Here is the Barnes and Noble description:

With The Little Stranger, Waters revisits the fertile setting of Britain in the 1940s—and gives us a sinister tale of a haunted house, brimming with the rich atmosphere and psychological complexity that have become hallmarks of Waters’s work.The Little Stranger follows the strange adventures of Dr. Faraday, the son of a maid who has built a life of quiet respectability as a country doctor. One dusty postwar summer in his home of rural Warwickshire, he is called to a patient at Hundreds Hall. Home to the Ayres family for more than two centuries, the Georgian house, once grand and handsome, is now in decline—its masonry crumbling, its gardens choked with weeds, the clock in its stable yard permanently fixed at twenty to nine. But are the Ayreses haunted by something more ominous than a dying way of life? Little does Dr. Faraday know how closely, and how terrifyingly, their story is about to become entwined with his.Abundantly atmospheric and elegantly told, The Little Stranger is Sarah Waters’s most thrilling and ambitious novel yet.

I just received a copy for review and it sounds fantastic. I can't wait to start reading it. What did you find this week?

Review -- Never Let You Go by Erin Healy

Never Let You Go

by Erin Healy

Nelson, Thomas Inc., 2010

344 pages

*I received a review copy from Amy at Phenix & Phenix Literary Publicists. Thanks Amy!

Summary: Lexi is a just a woman who is trying to pay the bills and raise her daughter the best she can. But when her estranged husband returns to reclaim his family, he brings heap loads of trouble with him. Lexi fights to keep her daughter safe from their terrible past as well as the supernatural forces working against them.

Review: Erin Healy writes an intense read that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. The plot is fast paced, although it can be overwhelming at times. There is a lot of action and emotion but also a touch of supernatural and spirituality at the core of this tale. The characters are flawed with buckets of secrets and misunderstandings between them that lead to unlikely choices. At the heart, a novel about forgiveness and redemption that I recommend. Rating: ***1/2 out of 5.

3 W Wednesdays -- 5/26

This meme is hosted by Should Be Reading.

What are you currently reading? I am about halfway through The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley.

What have you recently finished reading? Last night I finished The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. Last week I read (and recently reviewed) The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard. I also just finished Never Let You Go by Erin Healy (review to come).

What are you reading next? I have to start Shanghai Girls by Lisa See next for a book club meeting in June.

What are you reading?

Review -- The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard

The Scent of Rain and Lightning

by Nancy Pickard

Random House, 2010

352 pages

*I purchased this book from my local bookstore.

Summary: Jody Linder's life is turned upside down when her uncles deliver shocking news. The man who killed Jody's father (and possibly her mother) is getting out of jail and coming back to live in their hometown. As Jody grapples to understand what happened over 26 years ago, she finds that not everything she grew to believe is true.

Review: Nancy Pickard is the author of one of my all time favorite books, The Virgin of Small Plains. So I had high expectations for this novel. The story takes place in two alternating time lines. In the present time, Jody finds out her father's murderer has been released from prison. In the past storyline, the reader sees the events leading up to the murder and disappearance of Jody's parents. I enjoyed the past storyline so much better because I felt like a detective looking at all the clues to determine who really committed the crime. The present day story line was not as fulfilling for me. I found Jody to be very immature and difficult. I also felt that the romance aspect of this portion to be very sparse. I just feel that two people who fall in love should have at least more than three conversations. But the plot was fantastic! I may have not liked many of the characters but the mystery more than made up for it. I didn't realize what had really happened until very late into the book. Rating: *** out of 5

It's Monday! What are you reading? -- 5/24

This meme is host by Book Journey.

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a great weekend.

This week I am hoping to finish The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley (taking a little longer to read than I anticipated) and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (which I started over the weekend and I am completely engrossed in).

Last week, I finished Never Let You Go by Erin Healy and The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard (both reviews to be posted this week). I also reviewed two YA novels last week: Paper Towns by John Green and My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger (click on the title to read my review).

What are you reading?

Friday Finds -- 5/21

Happy Friday! This meme is hosted by Should Be Reading.

My Friday Find this week is Still Missing by Chevy Stevens (available 7/6/10). Here is the Barnes and Noble description:

On the day she was abducted, Annie O’Sullivan, a thirty-two-year-old
realtor, had three goals — sell a house, forget about a recent argument with her
mother, and be on time for dinner with her ever-patient boyfriend. The open
house is slow, but when her last visitor pulls up in a van as she's about to
leave, Annie thinks it just might be her lucky day after all. Interwoven with
the story of the year Annie spent as the captive of a psychopath in a remote
mountain cabin, which unfolds through sessions with her psychiatrist, is a
second narrative recounting events following her escape — her struggle to piece
her shattered life back together and the ongoing police investigation into the
identity of her captor. The truth doesn’t always set you free. Still Missing is
that rare debut find – a shocking, visceral, brutal, and beautifully crafted
novel.

This sounds like an intense read! What did you find this week?

Review -- My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger

My Most Excellent Year: A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins, and Fenway Park

by Steve Kluger

Penguin, 2009

416 pages

*I borrowed this book from the library.

Summary: Three friends (T.C., Augie, and Ale) write about their freshman year as an assignment for 11th grade English class. Through their diary-like entries, they tell a tale of love, baseball, movies, and showtunes.

Review: I think this novel would make an excellent television show for ABC Family. The characters (both main and supporting) are so vivid and wonderfully written. This book is like a cross between Gilmore Girls and Glee. The style of the prose is engaging and keeps the reader invested in the story. However, I do feel that this book is a fantasy of what high school could be like, not what it is truly like. But I struggle with whether that matters or not. There are great lessons in tolerance and acceptance that all young adults (and even some adults) could learn from. Rating: ****1/2 out of 5

3 W Wednesdays -- 5/19

This meme is hosted by Should Be Reading.

What are you currently reading? Right now, I am reading The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley (very cute and fun) and Never Let You Go by Erin Healy (really creepy and intense so far).

What have you recently finished reading? I recently finished The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard (review to come) and Paper Towns by John Green (click on title to read my review).

What are you reading next? Well, I need to read Shanghai Girls by Lisa See for book club and I am also hoping to crack open The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart.

What are you reading?

Review -- Paper Towns by John Green

Paper Towns

by John Green

Penguin, 2009

320 pages

*I borrow this book from the library.

Summary: Quentin is a high school senior with just a few weeks to graduate, when Margo Roth Spiegelman (his next door neighbor and lifelong crush) knocks on his bedroom window. Quentin and Margo spend a mischievous night driving around Orlando and the next day Margo disappears. Quentin begins a journey with his friends to find Margo based on clues she has left.

Review: I absolutely could not put this novel down. The characters are fun, smart, and interesting high school students who are pulled into the mystery of Margo's disappearance. John Green keeps the story rolling with an intriguing plot, crisp dialogue, and wonderful characters. A theme of accepting who you are and who others are reverberates throughout the novel. The pace of the book was a little odd for me. There were pages and pages spent on only one clue and then a mad dash at the end of the novel to get them to their destination. Overall, a read I absolutely recommend. Rating: ****1/2 out of 5.

It's Monday! What are you reading? -- 5/17

I hope everybody is having a nice Monday! This weekend, I dragged my boyfriend to the bookstore (on a Saturday night!) so I could use some (about to expire) coupons and picked up The Scent of Rain and Lightning (which I am almost finished with) by Nancy Pickard and Molly Fox's Birthday by Deirdre Madden. I am also working on The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley (which gets more interesting with each page).

Last week I finished the fantastic Paper Towns by John Green (review to come) and My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger (review to come). I also reviewed The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein.

What are you reading this week? (This meme is hosted by Book Journey).

Friday Finds -- 5/14

This meme is hosted by Should Be Reading.

Happy Friday! My find this week is Never Let You Go by Erin Healy. I received a review copy this week and it sounds fantastic. Take a look at the Barnes and Noble description:

Lexi lives in the shadow of choices her husband made. Especially Grant's choice to leave seven years ago, without a word. Her relationship with their daughter, Molly, is now the most important thing in her life. Lexi will do anything-work grueling hours, attend church on her only day off, sacrifice financially-just to see Molly smile. When Grant shows up declaring his intent to re-enter their daughter's life, Lexi is skeptical of his motives. She soon determines not to let him near Molly. Then a drug dealer named Warden arrives on Lexi's doorstep, demanding payment of Grant's old debts. But that's just the earthly perspective. Staggering supernatural events are spilling into her world in real and shocking ways. Hell's fury is great, but Heaven's power is greater still. In a novel that defies easy categorization, this has all the early buzz of the breakthrough book of 2010.

It sounds intense and really creepy. I can't wait to read it! What did you find this week?

Review -- The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

The Art of Racing in the Rain
by Garth Stein
HarperCollins, 2008
336 pages
*I received this as a birthday gift.

Summary: This book revolves around Enzo, a dog with the soul of a man and his race car driving owner, Denny. Together Enzo and Denny navigate the joys and tragedies of life, always believing in the racing philosophy that they live by.

Review: This was the book club's selection for May and it received immense praise from all the members. I absolutely loved this book (when I stopped crying -- who knew dog books make me so emotional?). Enzo is an unbelievably wise and thoughtful character and the plot is (although somewhat predictable) so wonderfully uplifting. Garth Stein does a fantastic job of giving Enzo a distinct voice that the reader immediately falls in love with. He reminds you of why it is so wonderful to be human. And makes you look at your own dog in a whole different light. Rating: ****1/2 out of 5

3 W Wednesdays -- 5/12

This meme is hosted by Should Be Reading.

What are you currently reading? I am about 50 pages into Paper Towns by John Green (which has just gotten really, really good). I also just started The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley (on Chapter 2).

What have you recently finished reading? I just finished The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein and My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger (both reviews coming soon).

What are you reading next? I just received a copy of Never Let You Go by Erin Healy. I am really looking forward to reading it next.

Library Book Club Selections!

Last night at book club, we chose our selections for the next seven months. Here is the list:

June: Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

July: The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

August: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

September: The Help by Kathryn Stockett

October: The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry

November: My Sister, My Love by Joyce Carol Oates

December: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Have you read any of these books? Any books I should look forward to reading?

It's Monday! What are you reading? -- 5/10

This week I read Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris, finished The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein (for book club tonight, review to come), and am half way through My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger. I was also able to review Official Book Club Selection by Kathy Griffin and The Magicians by Lev Grossman.

What are you reading? (This meme is hosted by Book Journey.)

Review -- Official Book Club Selection by Kathy Griffin

Official Book Club Selection: A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin

by Kathy Griffin

Random House, 2009

368 pages

* I borrowed this book from the library.

Summary: Comedienne Kathy Griffin writes a memoir about her life so far, including her childhood, her marriage and divorce, as well as her struggles to build a career in television.

Review: I am a big fan of Kathy Griffin's stand-up as well as her Bravo show, My Life on the D-List. It was a no-brainer picking up her memoir Official Book Club Selection because I knew it would be an entertaining and fun read. I absolutely loved this book. It was funny, but also at times very moving. I was impressed with how hard Kathy worked to become the success she is today. My only concern was the organization of the book which was a little confusing. Kathy would make references to events that had happened previously but then she doesn't go into detail until the next chapter. However, the style of writing was wonderful, I felt like Kathy was in my living room telling me her life story. And what a story! Rating: **** out of 5.

3 W Wednesdays -- 5/5

This meme is hosted by Should Be Reading.

What am I reading now? I just started My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger. This is a fun young adult read that makes me laugh every time I sit down to read.

What did I just finish reading? I just finished The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein and am hoping to review it early next week. Before that I need to review Kathy Griffin's memoir, the very funny Official Book Club Selection.

What are you reading next? Not sure. I just received We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver from the library and I also picked up a copy of Anna Quindlen's Every Last One. Both books seem pretty deep, so I am not sure which one to read first.

Review -- The Magicians by Lev Grossman

The Magicians
by Lev Grossman
Penguin Group, 2009
416 pages
*I borrowed this book from the library

Summary: Quentin, a depressed high school student, finds purpose when he is selected for admission into Brakebills, a college for magicians.

Review: I read somewhere that this book is described as "Harry Potter for adults". Our hero, Quentin, is no Harry Potter. He is flawed and is darker than Harry, but that makes Quentin real and more intriguing. The world that Lev Grossman paints is a vivid one cloaked in darkness. I couldn't distinguish between the good and bad characters because each had moments of terribleness and of brilliance. The plot is fascinating in the beginning as Quentin begins his magical journey, but I lost interest at times when he stumbles as a young adult trying to find happiness. However, I am glad I kept reading because the ending of this book (specifically their adventures in another dimension) were fantastic. Rating: ***1/2 out of 5

It's Monday! What are you reading? -- 5/3

I had a fantastic weekend for reading. I was able to finish The Magicians by Lev Grossman (review to come), read half of The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein (very sad but loving this book), and even read Official Book Club Selection: A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin by Kathy Griffin (review to come). I even finished my review of The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. I just hope that I can keep the momentum going!

What are you reading? (This meme is hosted by Book Journey).

Review -- The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

The Time Traveler's Wife
By Audrey Niffenegger
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2004
560 pages
*I borrowed this book

Summary: The story of Henry (a librarian with a genetic disease that makes him travel through time) and Claire (the woman who loves him).

Review: The members of my book club raved about this book (and the movie), so I had to pick it up. I was not disappointed by this wonderful story. Niffenegger writes a tale of love and loneliness that made me so sad, I cried like a baby at the end. You know, the kind of tears where you can't read the next line because you eyes are blurry? Henry and Claire are two wonderfully flawed characters who find love but at a huge cost. The narrative never stops and though sometimes confusing (thank goodness the author put in the date and the character's ages or I would have been completely lost) it is a story you can immerse yourself in. Rating: **** out of 5