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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Millard Salter's Last Day by Jacob M. Appel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book.

Millard Salter has reached his 75th birthday, and he's done all that he wants to do in his life. He's divorced and widowed. His children are grown and most of them are successful. Before his health begins to decline he's decided he's going to kill himself. This is Millard's last day.

Because Millard is 75 I did not understand many of his references. He mentions people who were famous during the prime of his life quite frequently in this story. I understood very few references. I didn't relate to Millard in any way, and I wasn't smitten with him either. He was a character I was quite indifferent about. That, for me, left me wanting quite a bit more from this book.

I did enjoy the writing, so I would seek out other work by Jacob M. Appel. There was a lot of humor and many surprises along the way. That, at least, made this book one I could get through though not one I would reread.

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Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was hysterical! Do yourself a favor and get a copy of the audio book of Furiously Happy.

The subtitle tells readers exactly what this book is - a funny book about horrible things. In this memoir Jenny Lawson holds nothing back about her daily struggles with a myriad of mental health problems. I laughed out loud and would enjoy reading anything else Jenny writes.

There are some scenes in this book that are heartbreaking to read through. Some readers may be sensitive to this story but most will find something to love about it.

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Killer Choice by Tom Hunt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Books for providing an advanced copy of this book to review. Below is my honest opinion.

Gary and Beth Foster are a happy couple. They've been married for several years and are now expecting their first baby. Gary has recently opened a retail store with his brother, and life is good. That is until Beth unexpectedly collapses one day. After numerous tests it's discovered that Beth has a life threatening brain tumor. An experimental drug trial is available to them but will cost $200,000 - money they don't have. Gary is contacted by a dubious stranger who offers him the money they desperately need but with a condition. Gary must kill a man.

This debut thriller by Tom Hunt will have you flipping pages into the late hours of the night. The edge of your seat will become worn as you're following Gary in his quest to save his wife's life. There are twists and turns and things I didn't see coming in this book that kept it all exciting. I gasped out loud a couple of times, and my heart was pounding as I read through these pages..

One of my favorite parts about this book is that it asks the uncomfortable question - what would you be willing to do (or not willing to do) in order to have a chance of saving someone you love? Gary is a reasonable, moral guy and he's suddenly forced into a desperate situation. I'm glad this is fiction because I don't know that I could handle the pressure!

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The Guineveres by Sarah Domet
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I picked this book up only for the title (my daughter is also named Guinevere) and knew almost nothing about the plot of this book. Luckily this worked out for me and the book was good!

Four girls named Guinevere wind up at the same convent. They each go by a different nickname - Vere, Gwen, Ginny, and Win - so there is no confusion for the reader. Each girl has experienced some loss that has caused her to arrive at the convent, and each of their stories are eventually revealed. These four isolate themselves from the other boarders, depending only on each other for friendship. The girls eventually meet four unidentified, unconscious soldiers who are brought to the convent for care and the Guineveres each become obsessed with one of them.

I thought of this story as slow at times, but that's not quite right. It lacked a lot of the edge-of-your-seat action I love in books but that wasn't needed for this story. It was really hard to put down regardless. These girls are just that - girls. A lot of their choices reflect their youth and naivety. Vere, the narrator, reflects on their childhood while also filling in the reader on how the Guineveres see their actions and choices through their adult lives. The four girls are also victims of circumstance and readers will see these girls make the best of a tough childhood.

The ending of this book was unexpected for me and probably helped me change this from a 3.5 to 4 star rating. One of the parts I like most about this book was the historical time period. The time period is never revealed but there are enough hints that readers should be able to figure it out.

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Lies She Told by Cate Holahan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book. The following is my honest opinion.

Liza is a best selling author, or at least she used to be. Her first book was a hit and the ones that followed haven't been well received. Now she's been given 30 days by her publisher to write another great book. She's got a lot of pressure to write the book, but she's got problems at home. She's also struggling to have a baby with her husband who has been less than attentive. That may be understandable, however, since her husband's best friend has gone missing.

Meanwhile Beth, the protagonist of Liza's latest book, is facing struggles of her own. She's got a newborn baby and has recently discovered her husband has a girlfriend. Liza and Beth's stories are told in alternating chapters.

This book is great for writers (or aspiring writers) to read. Liza's writing process is a big part of this book. Readers will see hints of how Liza's real life influences the story she's trying to complete before her deadline is up. The book was hard to put down and easy to devour in a couple of days. Even though I thought the book was very engaging I found it to be predictable at times. So I was really surprised to find a pretty big twist in the last few chapters. This story kept moving and was a great suspense read to wrap up the summer with.

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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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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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One Last Thing Before I Go by Jonathan Tropper
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Leading man, Silver, is kind of a loser. He's lost his wife, his daughter doesn't talk to him, he was a one hit wonder once upon a time, and has very little to look forward to in his life. His daughter comes back into his life to let him know she's pregnant (and also on her way to start college). Then when Silver learns that he needs a life saving to fix his faulty heart he decides to skip the operation.

What happens during this terminal part of Silver's life fills the pages of this book. There is a lot of humor, and a cast of characters that are a lot of fun to read about in a dysfunctional sort of way. This book is also crude. It's mean for mature readers (but not if you're easily offended).

I had hoped for a little more from this book (though I don't know why my expectations were so high). The humor was great, the story's concept was fine, but these aren't characters or a story that I will remember much of a few months from now. Also, if you want a nice, happily ever after ending, steer clear of this book.

What is your favorite humor writer? Comment below!

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Final Girls by Riley Sager
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

A Final Girl is rare. A Final Girl is someone who fascinates the public and causes a media frenzy. A Final Girl is not something you want to be. A Final Girl is the lone survivor of a massacre.

There are only three Final Girls - Lisa, Sam, and Quincy. When Lisa turns up dead, Sam turns up on Quincy's doorstep. Quincy had never met the other Final Girls, choosing instead to ignore her past, eat a regular dose of Xanax, and live her life as normally as possible out of the spotlight. Sam wants to help Quincy remember the past, but Sam is destructive. What's the truth and what's a lie? This book will really keep you guessing.

This is fast paced, and really hard to put down. All of the hype you've heard about this new summer thriller is well earned. There are a few things in there that seem a bit unbelievable but overall it was fun to read. I thought I could guess the ending here, but I was completely wrong!

What's your favorite summer thriller? Comment below!

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The Saturday Evening Girls Club: A Novel by Jane Healey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a sweet book about four young women who are best friends. They are each unique, but have come together through the Saturday Evening Girls Club. The club is sponsored by a wealthy woman who is able to encourage these girls and offer them opportunities that would otherwise be hard to come by for immigrants in the early 1900s.

Caprice is ambitious. Ada is brilliant. Maria is the beauty, and Thea is the shy and obedient one. Two of the girls are Catholic and two of the girls are Jewish. Throughout the book each of these girls are given a variety of conflicts that stem from their family life and the restrictive world they live in. They hope for careers and families of their own, and they all go about getting what they want in different ways.

The book was predictable at times, but it was still a fun, quick read. There were Jewish proverbs given at the start of each chapter that were a lot of fun to read through. I really like the time period and cultural backgrounds of these first generation American women.

This book was the July 2017 adult book for the Once Upon A Book Club box. If you haven't checked it out make sure you go here! I received 5 gifts with this book. Once Upon A Book Club really brings the story alive and enhances the reading experience.

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The Samurai's Garden by Gail Tsukiyama
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Samurai's Garden is set at the beginning of WWII. Stephen has tuberculosis and is sent from his family's home in Hong Kong to their vacation home in Tarumi, Japan. Far from anyone he knows, he spends the year getting to know the quite groundskeeper, Matsu. Matsu lives a quite life but Stephen gradually learns about the generous and humble life Matsu has lived.

This was a really beautiful book with a hint of a fairy tale quality. The characters were surprising. The time period is very interesting if you care to read about Asian culture. Stephen, a Chinese man, lives in Japan while racial hatred is abundant. Stephen also meets and befriends a woman with leprosy at a time and place where those with the affliction are shunned.

The ending of this book seemed a bit rushed to me, and I wanted to know more about what happened to several of the characters. Still, it was an enjoyable read filled with interesting cultural tidbits.

Have you read any books about Eastern culture during different eras? What's your favorite? Comment below!

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Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a short, sweet book about a grown woman returning home and reconnecting with her dad. Ruth is 30, still recuperating from her fiance dumping her, and her dad, Howard, is beginning to lose his memory. During Christmas her mother asks her to stay, just for the year. Ruth leaves her job and moves back to her family home to spend the year with her father and mother.

This story is told in snippets. I've read some other books that take this approach (Dept. of Speculation, for example) and they're typically pretentious. You won't find that here. Rachel Khong's story is very honest but still filled with humor and wit. There is some sadness, but this felt more like a celebration of Ruth and her father rather than a mourning of the man that once was.

I was not overly wowed by this book. It was pleasurable, and I'd look for other novels by Khong. It just didn't knock my socks off. Recommended for anyone who has a loved one experiencing dementia. This may be a reminder that even though it's scary and sad watching your loved one lose their memory and identity, there is still humor and love to be found.

Could you move back home for a year to care for an ailing parent? Comment below!

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The Child by Fiona Barton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a mysterious story surrounding the discovery of a baby's skeleton. Who is the baby? Who buried the baby? Is this somehow connected to a baby being stolen from a hospital years ago?

There are several POVs in this book which incorporate several story lines. The stories do all come together nicely, and the mysteries made for a compelling read. I enjoyed the short chapters and Fiona Barton's writing style.

I didn't love this book though. I had the story figured out about halfway through. There were some minor characters that seemed unnecessary to the story. There were some connections that the police didn't make that I thought were not realistic. I don't think this story will be one that I remember for very long.

What's the best mystery you've read recently? Comment below!

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The Two-Family House by Lynda Cohen Loigman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This family saga begins in late 1947. Two brothers share their two-family home. Younger brother Abe lives upstairs with his wife and four sons. Younger brother Mort lives downstairs with his wife and three daughters. Their wives, Helen and Rose, both find themselves in labor during a blizzard where they eventually give birth to their babies within a few minutes of each other. The story follows what happens in the lives of these two families during the next thirty years or so.

The two women, Helen and Rose, share a secret that no one else has ever even guessed at. The secret will be apparent to readers. I was disappointed that the secret seemed so apparent at the beginning. However, there is still a lot to unravel in this story that spans so many years.

What I loved most about this book was the characters. They blossomed throughout this story (though there was some wilting as well). Each was unique, each was well developed, and each had layered and complicated relationships with other members of their family. Don't be intimidated by the number of members of this family. It's worth your time to get to know them and their secrets.

What's your favorite family saga? Leave a comment!

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Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark T. Sullivan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to Brilliance Publishing for sending over a copy of this book for me to read.

If you've read and enjoyed Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand then you're going to love Beneath a Scarlet Sky. Both are stories of men who went through some incredible things during World War II. These books are both hard to put down!

Beneath a Scarlet Sky is the story of Pino Lella. He's a young, Italian teenager toward the end of World War II when his home in Milan is destroyed. Soon after Pino begins helping Jews escape to the safety of Switzerland by leading them through the difficult terrain of the Alps. And just as he turns 18 he is forced to enlist in the German military, becoming one of the Nazis he despises. When Pino receives an opportunity to become the personal driver for General Layers (Hitler's left hand in Italy) Pino suddenly becomes a spy for the Allies.

There is so much in this story - bravery, suspense, love, espionage, loss - and a really likable hero at the center of it all. So much of this story was unbelievable, though as a reader who has never experienced war, I think much of the hell that war brings about is unbelievable. I had trouble tearing myself from these pages because I just needed to know more.

Pino's story is epic, not always happy, and one that should be read widely. The book is written simply so those of us who aren't history buffs can still easily follow along. Highly recommended!

What's your favorite WWII book? Comment below!

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