Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to Flatiron and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy of this book. My honest opinion follows.

If you've read the synopsis of this book I'm betting that you're already intrigued. The main character is in a coma, her husband doesn't love her, and we may not be able to trust her! The excitement starts there, but it continues through this whole story. This is a must read for fans of thrillers, and twists.

I really had trouble figuring out the ending and all of the unexpected revelations of this story - and that was a treat! This had short chapters that made the story fly by. It bounced between Amber, our main character, being in a coma but experiencing locked-in syndrome, her life leading up to the coma, and diary entries. This was put together really well.

I didn't know who or what to trust during this story, but it was a great time trying to figure it out. There were lots of layers, but not so many that a reader would have trouble following the story. Uncovering all of the secrets in this book was a lot of fun.

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Girls Burn Brighter by Shobha Rao
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thank you to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for providing a copy of this novel to read and review. All opinions are my own.

This debut novel is a story of a fierce friendship between to young women, Poornima and Savitha. They live in poverty in India during the early 2000's. Poornima's mother has died, her father makes saris, and has to hire another person to help after his wife's death. Enter Savitha. The two women are of similar age, teenagers, and the form a fast friendship. Savitha lives in even greater poverty than Poornima. But when Poornima's father begins to arrange Poornima's marriage she is afraid she will never see her best friend again. A horrible incident takes place and Savitha runs away. Poornima spends the following years searching the world for her friend.

I cannot say I loved this book, but I did become engrossed in the pages. The story was beautiful and horrific all at once. The friendship at the forefront of this story is intense. Poornima and Savitha both have horrible things happen to them which was quite difficult to read at times. Still, this book made me think of what one might endure to return to someone they deeply care about.

Human trafficking is a big part of this story. One of the girls even becomes involved with the trafficking. This was very eye opening to me. This is a topic that I've always knew to be a concern but have never learned much about. The abuse these women and girls experience is heartbreaking. Their naivety is disconcerting. Regardless, this is a book that will be tough to forget. I look forward to reading more books from Rao in the future.

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An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is the book everyone has been talking about for the past month. It's Oprah's most recent book club selection -An American Marriage by Tayari Jones. In this story young newlyweds, Roy and Celeste, find themselves in a real life nightmare. Roy is arrested for a crime he didn't commit and their young relationship is tested beyond what either of them ever expected.

I didn't have the strong emotional connection to this book that I thought I would. It may be because of the hype that I built up my expectations for this book too much. Much of this is difficult to read in that we are viewing the worst, most painful parts of this couple's marriage. Reading about a failing relationship is nearly always uncomfortable.

I did enjoy the writing in this book. It was easy to get into the story and feel engaged. I appreciated the ending and felt that it was very realistic - much like the rest of this honest, heartbreaking tale.

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My Name Is Venus Black by Heather Lloyd
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with a copy of this book to read and review.

My Name is Venus Black is a book that will stick with me for a while, I think. Venus is 13 years old when she is arrested for a crime that happens in her house. She's a character that I can connect with easily. She's a good student, a teacher's pet. Before the crime is committed she is a girl who is never in trouble. Shortly after her arrest her 7 year old brother, Leo, is kidnapped.. Leo has some mental capacity issues that aren't named in this book. Set in the early 1980s there wasn't an autistic diagnosis given to him.

This tale could be one taken from the headlines. What happens to Venus, her brother, and the rest of their family is revealed in this book bit by bit. There is cast of characters that are flawed, memorable and unique in a variety of ways.

This was a bit of a slow burn, but with a layered plot and a varied cast of characters this book was original, interesting, and thrilling.

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Woman Last Seen in Her Thirties by Camille Pagán
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for a copy of this book to read and review. My honest opinion follows.

Maggie and Adam have been married for decades. Their children are grown, they’re approaching retirement age, and he’s leaving her. Maggie is a natural worrier but the one thing she hasn’t worried about is happening suddenly – her husband is ending their marriage and there’s nothing she can do to stop it.

Readers follow Maggie through her divorce and attempts to rebuild her life after such a shattering upheaval. There are parts that are humorous but most of this book was sad to read. Perhaps it’s a good book for anyone going through a divorce. Maggie attempts to save the marriage, drinks too much, travels, meets a few new friends, and starts a new relationship. She was hard for me to relate too in a lot of ways which could be why I didn’t connect very well with this story.

This book didn’t wow me, but it was an easy to read story of a middle age woman going through what so many like her have gone through. I did like the last chapter especially where Maggie writes a letter on forgiveness. There was a good message along with an ending I wasn’t really expecting. I think, overall, this book will be forgettable to me. I doubt I’ll recollect most of this story a few months down the road.

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The French Girl by Lexie Elliott
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thank you to Berkley Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Six young college students took a holiday to France. While there a local girl goes missing. Ten years later the friends learn the girl’s body is found. Was one of them responsible for her death? This book was a slow burn that needed a little more action for me to completely enjoy it.

The six friends are brought back together after a decade of becoming adults. The group dynamic is fragile. A lot of this story focused on how this group of old friends gets along – who slept with whom, both then and now? Who can get along long enough to get through dinner, and who can’t? Through all of the relationship dynamics there is a mystery at the forefront in everyone’s minds. What happened to Severine?

The pacing was too slow for me. There was a little action within the last couple of chapters but it was too little, too late. I needed more to happen early on. I was fairly please with the ending, and the writing was engaging enough. The story line seemed to have potential but was just a miss for me.

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Surprise Me by Sophie Kinsella
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for providing a copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

Sylvie and Dan have been together for ten years, married for seven of them. They've got twin girls, a nice life, and they know each other so well that they can predict what the other is thinking or about to say. They're comfortable in their relationship, safe. When they receive physicals their health is good and their doctor reveals they could expect to live for another seventy years. This gives each of them pause as the reality of how many years together they may have starts to set in.

Fans of Sophie Kinsella are going to enjoy this one. Sylvie is a new character but is like the female leads that Kinsella creates. Sylvie is like Lucille Ball - funny, bighearted, well meaning, and often in silly situations. She intends to add some surprise to her marriage, but she gets unexpected surprises and not all of them are good.

This is the chick lit you're looking for! This is a lighthearted read that has a few surprises along the way. The characters are likable and relatable.

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As Bright as Heaven by Susan Meissner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved every page of this book and need to get Susan Meissner's backlist added to my library. This will be one of my favorite reads for 2018, I have no doubt. I just couldn't put it down.

The Brights are tobacco farmers. The father, Thomas, has an opportunity to move his family to Philadelphia and become an undertaker. It's a tough decision to make, but after the loss of their infant son he and his wife decide it will be a good decision for their family. This story is told from the points of view of the mother, Pauline, and their three young daughters.

I love historical fiction and that's what drew me to this story to begin with. Men are leaving to go fight overseas in the Great War. Shortly after their arrival in Philadelphia the Spanish Flu begins to kill people in unthinkable numbers. The story of this family is really what kept me turning the pages long past bedtime.

Recommended for readers who enjoy historical fiction, memorable characters, or getting lost in a great story.

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White Chrysanthemum by Mary Lynn Bracht
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thank you to Net Galley and Penguin Group Putnam for a copy of this book to review.

Two sisters, Hana and Emi, are living in Korea during the second World War. They spend days at the beach with their mother, a haenyeo, learning to dive for food in the sea. One day while they’re at the beach a Japanese soldier comes and takes Hana away. Decades later, near the end of her life, Emi still has not been able to find the sister she lost that day.

This historical fiction tale is told in alternating points of view – Hana in the 1940’s and Emi in the 2010’s. Heartbreaking, yet important, readers are going to encounter some tough subject matter. The subject of sex slavery during WWII is the main focus.

This was hard to put down. The chapters are sometimes long, sometimes sweeping, but always engaging.

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Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughan
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Thank you to BookishFirst and Atria Books for providing me with a copy of this book for review.

Anatomy of a Scandal takes a deep look into the marriage of a prominent politician and his wife. Originally meeting in college, the couple face a scandal together two decades later. This courtroom drama has a couple of surprises along the way and is told from several points of view

This book was not one I enjoyed but I think a lot of other readers will like this for the reasons I did not. I am an American reader and this book takes place within the British government. This is a subject that I’m not familiar with. I felt lost at times and am sure I missed various references because of cultural differences. The government and court system are prominent in this book and I wish I had a better grasp of how they worked.

It took me a while to get through this book. There are several story lines that come together nicely but I was through the first half of the book before I started to see how the story could come together.

Trigger warning: rape


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The Girls in the Picture by Melanie Benjamin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the opportunity to read and review this book. My honest opinion follows.

Mary Pickford and Frances Marion were the "It Girls" of Hollywood a century ago. Staring in silent movies they helped build and shape the industry that is so familiar today but so fresh and uncharted when they began their work in southern California so long ago.

This historical fiction tale follows the intertwined lives of Mary and Frances - one a beloved starlet, the other a notorious writer. They were best friends, women who came from nothing and built a fortune. They grow into adulthood together, reach fame together, and struggle to maintain their friendship. This sweeping story may seem to jump from point to point at times but the lives of Mary and Frances were fully lived and not easy to encompass in one book. Readers shouldn't expect full biographies but rather an E! True Hollywood Story type of overview.

This book may be about two women who were in their prime a hundred years ago but all they endured will seem current and relative still today. Scandals in Hollywood are taking over today's headlines, and this story shows the treatment of women in the movie industry is nothing new. Fans of historical fiction, movie history, or strong female characters won't want to miss this book.

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The Company of Demons by Michael Jordan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thank you to Greenleaf Book Group and BookishFirst for a copy of this book. Below is my honest opinion.

This debut novel from Michael Jordan was very hard to put down. The short, fast-paced chapters kept the story moving. And there was so much story!

In this book John Coleman is a lawyer who has a past interlaced with a serial killer - one who his father had tried (and failed) to apprehend. John is an anti-hero, a cheater and alcoholic who is hard to like at times, but still one that the reader will want to pull for.

Events in the middle of this book are normally what you find at the end of other books, but this story contains many layers. If you're looking for surprising twists you won't necessarily find that here. Some parts are predictable but that doesn't make this any less an exciting book to read. The ending left me wondering if there will perhaps be a sequel in the future.

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The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is a hit before it has even been released. You'll want to check it out if you're a fan of plots twists, suspenseful reads, and thrillers.

Vanessa is troubled. She's divorced from Richard. She drinks too much. She's having trouble at work. But what really happened in their marriage? Vanessa is young, beautiful, and getting ready to marry Richard. But Richard is odd - he's so generous but controlling. Loving but aloof.

This book contains a surprise that I didn't see coming at all. I haven't found a twist like this since reading Gone Girl. The two books are similar in that they are twisted and about domestic relationships - but that's where the similarities end. I had hoped for some more turns and staggering reveals (greedy, I know) but this was still a great book to read. Be prepared for reading about troubled marriage - not always a pleasant thing to read about.

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The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

This was a book that was hard to put down. It starts off gory and a bit shocking and doesn't let up too much. Told in alternating chapters our narrator, Eddie, takes us from present day events (2016) back to his childhood in 1986. Is the Eddie reliable? Telling the truth? You'll have to read to find out.

There are a lot of questions that came up while I was reading. Who is the girl who is killed? Who killed Eddie's friend? Who drew all of the (creepy) chalk men? Everything is answered eventually, but there is a twist revealed at the end that may not be totally surprising to every reader.

I enjoyed this story while I read it, but it's not one that will stick with me for a long time. This is a debut novel from CJ Tudor, and I hope to see what other books she produces.

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The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thank you to Penguin Random House and BookishFirst for a copy of this book. Below is my honest opinion.

This story starts off strong as four young siblings meet a psychic who tells each of them the date of their deaths. These impressionable young people each handle the news differently. This story follows their lives and how the psychic's predictions shaped them and their relationships.

The story really begins in the 1970s as two of the siblings move across the country to San Francisco. Simon, a young gay man, finally begins to live freely. His sister Klara, always supportive of Simon, works to fulfill her dream of becoming a magician. Meanwhile, the less free-spirited Daniel and Varya struggle to understand why their younger siblings won't come home.

This book is about four people who are vastly different even though they're siblings. I liked some of the siblings better than others (Simon) but thought some of the events that happened in the lives of others (Daniel) seemed out of place. I had been anticipating this book quite a bit before starting it, and I believe I over-hyped it to myself. It was still a book to enjoy and get lost in but not one that I would read again.


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The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Anna suffers from agoraphobia. She cannot leave her house and spends much of her time peering through her windows, watching her neighbors. She has few visitors - a therapist or two will stop by - but even her husband and daughter are not with her. Anna exists in a very isolated, small world.

When new neighbors arrive Anna becomes absorbed in their lives. She watches closely and sees something horrific, something that the police don't believe, something the neighbors deny. So is it hallucinations Anna's suffering from? Is it the medication she takes? Trying to determine what is real and what isn't in this book is an adventure.

Readers shouldn't be intimidated by the 400 plus pages. This read goes quickly and is difficult to put down. Anna's agoraphobia is interesting to read about. There are lots of twists and surprises along the way. I wasn't able to predict the ending but enjoyed trying to puzzle it out.

The only thing that kept this from being a five star read was the amount of drinking done by the main character. I've seen this done in many other books recently - and then I'm left with an unreliable narrator. I need something different. It worked in this story but I just didn't want to read about an overly medicated woman again.

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The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit by Michael Finkel
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

This story was so fascinating to me. Chris Knight walked away from his life in the early 80s as a young man. He was not seen again for over 20 years. During this time he lives alone in the remote wilderness of Maine. With no other resources he steals from a nearby quiet lake community for decades. This story roped me in.

Michael Finkel does a great job researching Knight's story. The history of many other hermits is presented to show exactly how extraordinary Knight's self-isolation really was. I thought this book was well researched and I would love to read more by this author.

The one thing that bothered me about Knight's story is hard to describe. I couldn't put this book down but I also couldn't help but think I was looking into something that the subject of the book would not want me to read. This story is an intrusion of someone who has shunned society and contact with other humans for decades. I don't know that Knight wanted his story shared with the world and so have some conflicting ideas about this book being written. It's an incredible story but it may be a story Chris Knight didn't want written in a book.

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It's All Relative: Adventures Up and Down the World’s Family Tree by A.J. Jacobs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

AJ Jacobs is always good for an entertaining read, and this latest book is no exception. If you've listened to AJ's podcast Twice Removed you'll already have an idea of what you will get in this book. (And if you haven't listened be sure to check it out. It was a short lived podcast, but kind of fun.) AJ is on a quest to show that everyone is all part of one big family.

There is a light narrative through the book in which AJ is organizing a (hopefully) record breaking family reunion. It seems like a disaster at every turn, but it's interesting to see his big plans unfold. Most of the rest of the book are a variety of genealogical stories. Who are AJ's ancestors? How does one go about researching a family tree? How exactly are we all related?

There are lots of laugh out loud moments in this book. AJ isn't afraid to share his embarrassing moments, struggles, and feuds (great and small). Lots of research has gone into this book, and it's appreciated by this reader. There are several current hot-button social issues hit upon in this book. I'm open to hearing those discussions (in moderation) but it wasn't what I was looking for in a light read about genealogy.

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Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was charmed by Lillian Boxfish. I couldn't put the book down. One of the best books I've read in a while.

Lillian begins her walk in New York at age 85 on New Year's Eve of 1984. She guides readers through the streets of New York, a city I'm not familiar with. The setting may appeal more to readers who have been to, or lived in, New York. On her walk she reflects on her life.

Lillian is sharp, witty, and brave. A memorable character. A history of New York and Lillian wrapped up in one good book.

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Sourdough by Robin Sloan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I didn't think I would like this book after reading the synopsis the first time. A lady moves to a new city, receive a sourdough starter from some mysterious brothers, and the bread she receives leads her on an unexpected, life changing adventure. I'm not a foodie and I don't enjoy magical realism too much. But all of that didn't matter. This was a book that I easily got lost in.

Before you read this book make sure you have some food nearby. I have never had so many cravings while reading a book! Lois is a character I really liked. I could relate to her. She's solitary, a little panicky, but she was a character who was pleasant to read about, a character who changed in some good ways.

The end of the book began to drag a little bit for me. This is when most of the so called magical realism kicks in. It's light but will require readers to suspend disbelief. Still, I'm looking forward to the next novel from Robin Sloan.

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