Gwendy's Button Box by Stephen King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's the mid 1970's and Gwendy is going to start middle school soon. She's running up the suicide stairs in hopes of losing a little weight before going back to school. At the top of the stairs is a mysterious stranger, a man who has been watching Gwendy. She winds up talking with him and he gives her a box adorned with buttons. But this isn't just an average box.

This novella was really easy to continue reading. The chapters are short, the story moves quickly, and I just needed to see what happened in this book. This is one readers can finish in one sitting. The box that Gwendy receives causes some great things to happen in her life, but it may also cause some terrible things to happen. Is it really the box or is it all coincidence?

I was hooked bythis story through the whole book. The ending wasn't quite what I expected or hoped for, but it wasn't bad. I would have enjoyed reading this as a longer book, but I think it made for a pretty good short story as well. I just wasn't ready for it to end!

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The Lightkeeper's Daughters by Jean E. Pendziwol
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Morgan is a moody, troublesome teenager. She recently got herself into trouble when she was caught spray painting a fence at a nursing home. Her penalty includes community service in the form of repainting the fence. While she's at the nursing home she meets Elizabeth, a blind woman who has a big story to tell. Elizabeth and her twin sister, Emily, grew up on Porphyry Island where her family tended to a lighthouse year round. Elizabeth was responsible for Emily who was mute. Told in alternating points of view, Morgan helps Elizabeth unravel a tale that is decades old and full of secrets.

It took me a little while to get into this book, but once the story got going it was very hard to put down. Some parts felt like they could be predictable but then the story would take a sudden turn and there would be a twist I didn't see coming. Twists were revealed through the very end of Elizabeth's story. I couldn't put the book down while I was finishing up the last couple of chapters. Fans of Kristin Hannah will enjoy this book. There is history, a layered tale, mystery, and secrets. Strong women are at the forefront of this story.

Where the author lost me was during all of the parts about the lighthouse and the lake. Yes, I realized that a lighthouse may be a big part of the story based on the title. However, these parts just didn't hold my interest. I know so little about how a lighthouse works that the parts of the story showing the day to day work and life on Porphyry Island were boring to me. Readers who grew up near a lake, boats, or a lighthouse will find more appeal than this landlocked reader did.

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The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book! I've been sitting on my review for days because I want to gush about this book but I also don't want to give anything away. Let's start with this - the dedication page is for John Irving. I knew at that point that this was going to be a great read.

This book is about Cyril Avery. It opens with the day his sixteen year-old, unwed mother is cast away from her church and home in 1940's Ireland. His birth is eventful and he finds his way into the home of the Avery's, his adoptive parents. His life story is told in these pages. What may seem like a long book becomes pressed for pages as readers will want to know more and more about Cyril's life. He struggles during his life to be true to himself while his friends, family, and country expect something quite different from him. His struggles are heartbreaking but certainly not all that unique.

The writing in this book is so funny. I loved the witty dialogue between characters. Cyril is a weak man at times, but he is a strong protagonist. It will be a long time before I forget him. His adoptive parents (the real Avery's), his friends, eventual co-workers, and everyone else Cyril encounters was a pleasure to read about. There were some parts that brought tears to my eyes, but mostly I found honesty in Cyril's story. There were some graphic(ish) scenes in this book and may not be a great choice for young or sensitive readers.

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Girl in Snow by Danya Kukafka
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the chance to read this book. Below is my honest opinion.

A girl is found murdered on the school playground. It’s a small community and everyone is talking about it and playing armchair sleuth to figure out who murdered Lucinda Hayes. This book isn’t really about her murder or who actually killed her, however. The book follows three unique characters: Cameron, Jade, and Russ.

Cameron is the so-called weird kid at school. He cannot follow social norms. He loved Lucinda in his own way. Jade used to know Lucinda. They used to be friends. But friends grow apart. Russ is a cop in this little town. He is married to Ines who happens to be the sister of the man who found Lucinda. These characters are the real story in this book, and Lucinda’s murder is only an afterthought.

I think many readers will find the writing in this book beautiful. For me? I didn’t enjoy it. Each time the author was close to getting to a point related to what I thought was the story line we were whisked away to another flowery story that was unrelated to the murder. This wasn’t a wholly unenjoyable book; however, it was not the thriller or mystery that I thought it was going to be. If you’re looking for a character driven book with prose that is a bit fancy then you’ll probably love this book.

What's your favorite murder mystery? Comment below!

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Where the Light Falls by Allison Pataki
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In this historical fiction novel the French Revolution is underway. It's a terrifying time to be of noble birth or sympathetic to anyone who is found guilty of siding with the former King and Queen. People are losing their heads frequently, and it's not always easy to determine who is a friend and who is a foe.

This story follows the lives of three French citizens. Jean-Luc is a lawyer who wants to do whatever he can to help the revolution. He moves his wife and baby son to the dangerous city of Paris to be more involved. Andre' is a young soldier and is trying his hardest to remove himself from his father's legacy - a nobleman who died at the guillotine. Sophie is a widow to a man she hardly knew. She is watched over by her powerful, controlling uncle. Each of these three are strangers, but their lives become intertwined after a series of events. From the front lines of war to dark, backroom political discussions, this book will take readers through a variety of events during The Reign of Terror and beyond.

I knew so little about the French Revolution before I read this book. I probably should have brushed up on this history before I started in. This is a compelling read, but the brutal scenes of war did not appeal to me very much. I think if I had a better understanding of the history and culture of this era I would have enjoyed it more. It was interesting to see historical figures woven throughout the book, but I think this will appeal more to readers familiar with French history.

One of the coolest things about the edition I was read was the annotations from the authors. These gave a little more insight into what inspired the authors, what changed from the original story, and anything else the authors wanted to share! Need something like this in your reading life? Head over to PageHabit to get a new book, with annotations, and some bookish goods. There are a variety of genres (not just historical fiction) and each purchase helps put books into the hands of people in need all around the world.

What's your favorite book about the French Revolution?

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Just Another Week in Suburbia by Les Zig
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Pantera Press for the opportunity to read this book. Below is my honest opinion.

Casper Gray lives with his wife, Jane, in the suburbs of Australia. He’s a teacher and she does, well, Casper’s not quite sure what she does at work. They’ve been married for six years, can’t get pregnant, and have a dog instead of a baby. They’re a little bit boring but they’re happy. One sleepless night Casper stumbles over his wife’s purse, causing the discovery of something that takes the young couple to a turning point in their relationship. In the week that follows Casper will learn a lot about his wife, his neighbors, his best friends, his co-workers, and himself. This engaging book allows readers to follow Casper’s first person narrative of his eventful week.

Casper and his wife will have other twenty and thirty-somethings saying, “Same.” From the struggles of saving from IVF to the neighbors that aren’t quite ideal, this book is honest and relatable. It was difficult to put down because the story was so compelling. I just had to know what happened next. At one point my heart was pounding, and I couldn’t read fast enough. It’s not a suspenseful story, but it is certainly captivating.

At times Casper isn’t the most exciting narrator. Despite his life suddenly falling down around him he must still go through the motions of his somewhat mundane life. This enhanced the truth of this book, however. Because the book covers a full week of Casper’s life the time of day is given frequently, almost obsessively, in this book. There are some graphic sex scenes that young or sensitive readers may want to avoid. For the rest of us these scenes, like everything else in this book, lend themselves to the authenticity of life in suburbia.


This book will be published September 1, 2017. Make sure you add it to your TRB list!

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Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had such limited knowledge of Norse Mythology before I read this that I was blind going into this book. Seriously, nearly all of my knowledge of Thor came from my love of Adventures in Babysitting when I was little. With that being said, my struggle with this book was how to pronounce the names!

Instead of one continuous story this is made up of a collection of stories. I don't usually prefer short stories but it work wonderfully here. There is a large cast of characters and they don't all have a place in each story. The prose was so honest and matter of fact that there was a fairy tale quality to each tale. I was surprised as well as there was quite a bit of humor.

I look forward to reading more by Neil Gaiman. Hopefully this was a really good intro into his work. Readers who aren't sure if they would like fantasy or mythology would do well to give this book a try. It's quick and enjoyable.

Have you read other books by Neil Gaiman? How does this one compare?

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