It Ain't So Awful, Falafel by Firoozeh Dumas

My Rating: 4.9

Zomorod Yousefzadeh (Cindy) and her parents move from Iran to California and she is determined to fit in. Despite the overthrow of the Shah, Iranian hostage takings and other Iranian events that some people feel Cindy must be personally responsible for, this is such a fun book filled with bean bag chairs, puka shells and other things I remember. It captures being a young girl and friendships.

This book kept me up far too late reading and laughing. That newspaper route scene still can make me chuckle! It captured so much including how it would feel to immigrate with your family and, despite being a child, that they look to you to understand the language and culture. The history lesson portions felt objective and well done. I absolutely LOVED this book and will be reading more by this author.

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

My Rating: 4.8

After serving 10 years for murder, when Oliver is finally released from jail Detective Colborne meets him wanting to know the truth of what really happened. This flashes back to 10 years prior, when Oliver is one of seven young Shakespearean actors at the Classical Conservatory who form a close friendship despite their fierce competition with each other for the various roles in the plays.

This book, that is told in 5 "Acts" will not be for everyone - if you don't like Shakespeare, then you will hate this book (there are literally PAGES of Shakespeare and the students continuously quote him in their daily interactions). I felt that Rio captured the pretentious, self-indulgence of youth who feel they know more than the adults while also showing their insecurities. This is about friendship and rivalry and seeing how far both can go. Well played!

Himself by Jess Kidd

My Rating: 3.5

Orphaned as a child, Mahony returns to Mulderrig on Ireland's West Coast.in search of his mother and to know why he was given up. Despite many of them having answers, no one living or dead will tell Mahony what happened to his teenage mother all those years ago.

This is a quirky novel with beautiful writing, ghosts and magic. It is hard to capture this novel which has everything from uncomfortable violence to a lot of levity with the dead interacting with the living. While I was completely enthralled with Kidd's writing, the story was rather slow at many points throughout the book. I am glad I read it and would definitely read more by Kidd as his writing is magical. 

The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris

My Rating: 4.8

Lale and Gita meet in Auschwitz. Lale is given the prestigious job of being the Tattooist of the numbers for all the new prisoners. This position gives him a small amount of freedom that he uses to get extra food and distributes to keep others alive. As Lale falls in love with Gita, he gives her hope to stay alive by picturing life together after they get out.

Knowing that this is a true story makes it all the more amazing. Like Viktor Frankl's book Man's Search for Meaning, Lale discovers that the key to life and survival is having hope and he spreads that hope throughout Auschwitz. As horrific as this was, it is also the story of overcoming incredible odds, survival and of love.

Love You More by Lisa Gardner #5 D.D. Warren & #1 in Tessa Leoni Series

My Rating: 4.6

Detective Tessa Leoni's 6 year old daughter is missing and her husband is dead on her kitchen floor from her service revolver.  Tessa says she shot him in self-defense and has the bruises to prove it. Detective D.D. Warren and Bobby Dodge have to figure out what really happened and that means a twisting turning plot!

I love these easy popcorn thriller reads of Gardner's and will definitely be reading more.  This is Book #5 in the Detective D.D. Warren series but also Book #1 in the Tessa Leoni series (like a spin-off) I loved Tsssa's character so will be reading that series after I finish with the DD Warren series.

Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier

My Rating: 4.8

Three best friends, one is murdered, one becomes a policeman and one goes to jail.. Georgina is an fast up and coming executive in a pharmaceutical company when she is suddenly arrested for what happened 14 years ago. Add in the Sweet Bay Strangler, Calvin James and you have an edge of your seat thriller / mystery.

This gripped me from the very beginning and didn't disappoint. This was fabulously twisted and well written. An easy page turner. Loved it!

Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman

My rating: 4.6

While snorkeling on their dream honeymoon, Mark & Erin find something in the water. They have a choice to make and, it triggers a chain of events.

Judging by the reviews, you will either love or hate this book. It is a typical thriller where you have to suspend reality and go with the wild plot twists and the simple writing style but, I enjoyed it a lot. It made me wonder, what I would do in her circumstances.

Live To Tell by Lisa Gardner #4 D.D Warren Series

My Rating: 4.6

When Danielle was a child her whole family was slaughtered.  Now she is a nurse on a pediatric psych ward. Victoria is a mother to a very troubled son. Is she so devoted that she is willing to risk her family and even her own safety? DD Warren has to figure out how another family is slaughtered and if there is any connection.

As with all Lisa Gardner novels, you have to go with it and just enjoy. I wouldn't say this was the best in the D.D. Warren series but, I am enjoying them and will continue reading.

Faithful by Alice Hoffman

Rating: 2.5

Shelby and her best friend are in a car accident and Shelby has to live with the guilt of that night.

This was just ok for me.I felt that some things just fell in to place too neatly. I didn't feel a strong attachment to any of the characters as they felt very immature and not developed.  By the end of the book, I was actually very tired of a few characters. There was just no depth to the writing so I was glad to be done with this.

The Pecan Man by Cassie Dandridge Selleck

Rating:  5.0

In the summer of 1976, recently widowed and childless, Ora Lee Beckworth hires a homeless old black man to mow her lawn. The neighborhood children call him the Pee-can Man; their mothers call them inside whenever he appears. When a crime happens, the Pecan Man (Eddie) is arrested and charged. Twenty-five years later, Ora sets out to tell the truth about the Pecan Man. In narrating her story, Ora discovers more truth about herself than she could ever have imagined.

Wow. I fell in love with so many characters. You know from the beginning that Eddie/The Pecan Man is in prison but you don't know the details behind it. I was early on the book, while Eddie was still free, that I knew Eddie was in jail as I loved him so much I didn't want that to happen. This book had my heart with so many of the characters. This novel has been described as To Kill a Mockingbird meets The Help. 

Yellow Crocus by Laila Ibrahim

My Rating: 4.8

They say we are formed by our relationships with the women who raise us. Moments after Lisbeth is born, she’s taken from her white mother and handed over to an enslaved wet nurse, Mattie, who is a young mother separated from her own infant son in order to care for her tiny charge. Thus begins an intense relationship that will shape both of their lives for decades to come. Though Lisbeth leads a life of privilege, she finds nothing but loneliness in the company of her overwhelmed mother and her distant, slave-owning father

This had me from the first chapter. Such a beautifully told story with Mattie having such a beautiful heart despite her circumstances. I felt that the ending was a bit contrived but did enjoy it.  The first portion about Mattie was my favorite but I think I liked Someone Knows My Name a bit better. 

The Perfect Mother by Aimee Molloy

Rating; 2.0

A mother's group meets for one of their meetings without their children at a bar. One of the women's child is kidnapped and their is much speculation as to who done it.

There were too many Mothers to keep track of and none of them had any traits where I cared about them and then a lot of extraneous backstories *yawn* The little switcheroo at the end felt very contrived. This is trying to ride on the coattails of all the latest string of "thrillers" and barely kept my attention. Definitely not a recommend.

The Other Woman by Sandie Jones

Rating: 4.4

Emily thinks she has met the perfect man in Adam...until she meets his mother. Pammie is very controlling and manipulative and will stop at nothing to get what she wants. Emily has to decide how much is she willing to fight to keep her man.

If you think you have problems with your mother-in-law, you have no idea of how bad it could be! This is the worst MIL that you could ever imagine. This is a quick beach read that had me engrossed with the dysfunctional Banks family. I had to listen to the  ending twice to figure out what happened - I love it when the ending is not wrapped up in a neat bow! Thanks to Holly https://dressedtoread.com for this twisted beach read recommendation 

Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter

Rating: 4.6

Andrea knows her mother Laura very well. But when they are in a mall and a shooter attacks, Andrea sees a completely different side of her mother. The timeline changes between current day of Andrea trying to figure out who this new version is of her mother, and back to 1986.

At first, I loved this book, then, when it introduced a new part to the story-line flashing back to 1986, I wasn't so sure, and then I was glad I stuck with it as I did enjoy it. You just have to trust Slaughter as she knows what she is doing and is the master of writing a good twisted thriller.

Educated by Tara Westover

Rating:  3.0

This is the story of a fundamentalist/survivalist Mormon family. Tara tells her story of being raised off the grid, with no birth certificate, no formal schooling with a very extreme religious and dysfunctional family.

For me, this wasn't unique. I am familiar with so many people with similar stories and some who have broken free and others who have chosen to stay that this didn't have an allure for me. I agree with others that say it seemed far-fetched she could have gone to Harvard/Cambridge as not only do scholarships don't cover everything but as someone put it "Intelligence is not the main thing required to attend Harvard or Cambridge; being able to pass exams and perform the system's dance is. Someone without formal education should have no idea how to do that."

This definitely had a pleasing writing style that was meant for the masses. It was entertaining but not a must read in my books.