We Never Asked For Wings by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

My rating: 3.8

Letty works while her mother raises her two children but now, after 14 years, her parents are returning to Mexico and Letty has to figure out how to be a parent on her own.

This deals with undocumented immigrants, poverty, being a single mother and so much more. While these are all weighty issues, this had a lighter feel to it and definitely had a nice bow on it to tie it up at the end. Definitely wasn't as fabulous as The Language of Flowers but still enjoyable.

The Marriage Lie by Kimberly Belle

My rating: 4.0

Will & Iris have a fabulous marriage including a beautiful house, great careers and are trying for a baby.  Will leaves on a business trip for Orlando but Iris gets a phone call from the airlines informing her that her husband was on a flight that crashed and was going to Seattle.  What follows is Iris trying to figure out why her fabulous husband was or wasn't on a different plane. Is she a widow or is the airline mistaken?

This thriller/mystery was an entertaining read and I enjoyed the ending. Definitely a fun light popcorn type beach read. 

Bookmarks Magazine Sept/Oct 2017

Being off work + being in the pool + Bookmarks Magazine arriving = Perfection! Here are the picks I found on my first pass through. I will take this magazine with me this weekend on the plane. Although I found 9 books to add to my queue (see below), they didn't seem as amazing as usual (in fact, a couple sound downright bizarre) - was it just me or did you feel the same way? I will be interested when I start reading them how I will feel.

Let me know what your picks are...and if you don't get Bookmarks, please share if you are reading anything good.

      


         

These two were already in my library hold list:
   

The Bear And The Nightingale by Katherine Arden

My rating: 4.2

In the depth of winter in the Russian wilderness, Marina tells her husband that she is pregnant with their fifth child and she believes it is a girl who will be bestowed with the magic that her mother had. The girl is raised with her sibblings huddled around the fire listening to her nurse's fairytales...which cross with reality. Evil creatures in the forest become demons that cannot be controllled.

This is reality intermingled with fantasy. This is poetry. This is beautiful. It did drag a bit for me in parts but I would definitely read more by this author.

The Marriage Pact by Michelle Richmond

My rating: 3.0

Newlyweds, Alice and Jake, are given a wedding gift to join a mysterious group know as The Pact. The goal of The Pact seems simple: to keep marriages happy and intact. And most of its rules make sense. Always answer the phone when your spouse calls. Exchange thoughtful gifts monthly. Plan a trip together once per quarter. .until one of them breaks the rules and it turns into their worst nightmare.

There is a lot to 'get past' with this book. If you can get past a bright couple agreeing to stupid things, an attorney not reading a contract before signing it and several other implausible things in this story, then this is a light easy read where you just have to go to with it and enjoy the ride. The implausibility and sci-fi feel aside, this was a very readable book.

Beartown by Frederik Backman

My rating: 5.0

In a tiny community set deep in the forest, a Junior ice hockey team is about to compete for the semi-finals. All the hopes and dreams of the town rest on the shoulders of these teenage boys. This is about the boys, the coaches, GMs, managers and the town - everyone's life hopes and dreams revolve around the team.

This reads somewhat like a thriller with flashbacks. Not only was I brought up with hockey but my niece Olivia played goalie for a AAA team in a remote town this past winter.  I can say that this NAILED hockey, a hockey town and their mentality perfectly. IMO, this is Backman's best book yet. Stunning! Don't read too much about it as there is a spoiler.....which I was shocked was in the description of the book - don't read anything more about it!  Just get the book..

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

My rating: 4.7

Two women - Eve & Charlie - two different times:

1915: Young Eve Gardner gets the chance to fight the Germans...as a spy.
1947: After WWII, Charlie St. Claire finds herself pregnant, with her beloved cousin missing.

These two worlds intersect with Eve trying to drink away her memories and Charlie trying to find her missing cousin.

I really enjoyed the character and story of Eve.  Charlie's character was mediocre for me but did get better as the book went on. Reminiscent of Rose Under Fire and Code Name Verity. I would definitely read more by this author.