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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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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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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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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