My Rating: 4.5
This story revolves around five children, Kenny, Lucy, Clara, Howie and Masey who were all in a remote church run school. Released when they are 16 years old without any family, skills or support, they have to find their way to try to survive.
This was very gritty and uncomfortable. That being said, it was good and captured what happened to so many Native American Indian children. It also did a fabulous job of capturing the E. Hastings Street area of Vancouver.
My Rating: 4.5
1950s Philadelphia: Ruby is 15 years old and on track to becoming the first in her family to attend college, in spite of having a mother more interested in keeping a man than raising a daughter. But a taboo love affair threatens to pull her back down into the poverty and desperation that has been passed on to her like a birthright.
Eleanor arrives in Washington, DC, with ambition and secrets. When she meets the handsome William at Howard University, they fall madly in love. But William hails from one of DC’s elite wealthy Black families, and his parents don’t let just anyone into their fold. Eleanor hopes that a baby will make her finally feel at home in William’s family and grant her the life she’s been searching for. But having a baby—and fitting in—is easier said than done.
This was an easy read and about half way in, you could see what was going to happen but it still kept me interested. The discrimination amongst blacks based on their skin lightness/darkness was very predominant in this story. The pregnant school was so sad as were the choices that women had to make. All in all, it was a good read.
My Rating: 4.7
War veteran Peter Ash is back. He is in the forests of the Redwood hoping to escape civilization for some peace and quiet - but it doesn't turn out like he planned. A grizzly chases him up a tree. As he is escaping and climbing he finds a rope. It leads up and up and up into the canopy of the trees where he meets a woman named June. Peter discovers that June is on the run from some men. June's mother was a prominent software developer exploring an AI app when she was killed in an accident. From below them, they hear men and gunshots and Peter and June are on the run...trying to avoid the bad men and figure out what is going on.
This was another fast-paced action packed thriller while still being light and including some romance. This one pushed the boundaries of plausibility more than the first book in the series but I really enjoy Petrie's writing style and it was a fun read. I will continue reading more in this series.
My Rating: 4.9
After serving in both Iraq and Afghanistan, Peter Ash is discharged but has PTSD in the form on 'white noise' or claustrophobia any time he goes inside a building. When a friend from the Marines commits suicide, Ash returns to civilization to help the man's widow with some home repairs. Under her dilapidated porch, he finds more than he bargained for: the largest, ugliest, meanest dog he's ever encountered... and a Samsonite suitcase stuffed with cash and explosives. As Ash begins to investigate this unexpected discovery, he finds himself at the center of a plot that is far larger than he could have imagined... and it may lead straight back to the world he thought he'd left for good.
This is hard to capture as it is gritty and rough and yet funny and has some potential romance thrown in. I loved the writing and how Ash came to life. Petrie did an amazing job of making us aware Ash's PTSD and vet challenges in returning after war without being preachy. I also loved the character of the smelly 150 pound dog named Charles Mingus. Definitely will continue reading this series.
My Rating: 4.9
In the 1950's, Kit, a Cherokee child is reported for socializing with an undesirable woman in the neighborhood. Sad events lead to Kit being removed from her home and put in a Christian boarding school where her life becomes horrific.
Growing up in British Columbia (and visiting the Eastern Provinces), I was aware of the tragic forced schooling of Native American children - and the abuse that they endured before being kicked out on to the streets when they came of age. This books captures some of the abuse in a very calm factual way. So much sadness in the tragic circumstance but a story that needs to be told. Thanks to my book-twin Jeana shoegaljeana on Instagram for this recommendation.
My Rating: 1.0
Asher and Lily both know what it is like to start over. Asher and his mom Olivia left when Asher's dad showed his dark side. Lily says her father is dead but she just wants nothing to do with him. Asher and Lily dating seems so natural.
Then one day, Olivia receives a phone call: Lily is dead, and Asher is being questioned by the police. Olivia is adamant that her son is innocent. But she would be lying if she didn’t acknowledge the flashes of his father’s temper in Ash, and as the case against him unfolds, she realizes he’s hidden more than he’s shared with her.
I enjoyed the part about the bees and beekeeping. This had potential but....the characters were flat and then it took the twist south. WARNING SPOILER ALERT: They take two kids that could be an interesting story and half way in reveal that one of them is transgender. I get that part of the intrigue was springing "the twist" on us 50% of the way through. This is a very divisive topic that some people are VERY tired of having shoved down their throats. It was a deal killer for me and sure wish I had known before I picked up this book. Between the domestic abuse and the transgender it waivered between pandering and lecturing. So many things were wrong with this plot line. Gag.
My Rating: 4.7
Nina and Lily are friends and co-workers. Nina's husband Jake turns up missing and, at first, Nina thinks it is due to a fight they had the last time she saw them. Soon she realizes that Lily may have been the last one to see Jake before he went missing.
I loved the building of tension with the alternate view points. I have had a few misses with Kubica's novels but this makes me want to get back in to Kubica's books. A great fast read that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Recommend the audio version so you literally, don't have to put it down.
My Rating: 4.7
Do you often feel stuck battling the same fears, temptations, lies, and doubts, wondering if you’ll ever overcome them? Learn how to stand in the unshakable victory the Lord has already won for you.
The Devil preys on all of us. If you recognize it, then you can use the tools that the Lord has given us to fight him and be victorious! This book is very uplifting and empowering. I particularly love the prayers that you can read out loud at the end of each chapter.
My Rating: 2.0
In the 1920s, everyone in New York has heard of Benjamin and Helen Rask. He is a legendary Wall Street tycoon; she is the daughter of eccentric aristocrats. Together, they have risen to the very top of a world of seemingly endless wealth—all as a decade of excess and speculation draws to an end. But at what cost have they acquired their immense fortune? This is the mystery at the center of Bonds, a successful 1937 novel that all of New York seems to have read. Yet there are other versions of this tale of privilege and deceit.
This was a book club read, otherwise I may not have finished it. The novel superficially explores money is a social construct and a medium: We ascribe value to it in a complex system of social agreements - which is the connection between money and language. This is also the connex between the myth of the American dream and the cult of wealth. It really didn't say anything new. None of the characters are likable. I appreciated the creativity of the author with writing this four part series of a book within a book but the plot, as several others have mentioned, was very dry and boring.
Part 1 - Wall Street tycoon Benjamin Rask marries brilliant Helen
Part 2 - Autobiography of Andrew Bevel who turns out to be Benjamin Rask
Part 3 - Ida Partenza, the ghostwriter of the manuscript in Part 2 who is tasked with writing Rask's autobiography
Part 4 - Mildred (aka Helen) Rask's diaries
My Rating: 4.7
James Smale finally sells his novel to an editor at a major publishing house: none other than Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Jackie--or Mrs. Onassis, as she's known in the office--has fallen in love with James's candidly autobiographical novel, one that exposes his own dysfunctional family. But when the book's forthcoming publication threatens to unravel already fragile relationships, both within his family and with his partner, James finds that he can't bring himself to finish the manuscript. Jackie and James develop an unexpected friendship, and she pushes him to write an authentic ending, encouraging him to head home to confront the truth about his relationship with his mother. Then a long-held family secret is revealed, and he realizes his editor may have had a larger plan that goes beyond the page...
All of the characters sprang to life off of the pages. I loved Jackie and James friendship as well as James and his dysfunctional family. This was thoroughly enjoyable.
My Rating: 4.6
Two years have passed since the events that everyone wants to forget. Maya's parents, Peter and Kira, are caught up in an investigation of the hockey club's, tensions simmer between the two towns and a 14 year old boy wants revenge for his sister's death.
I loved Beartown and this brought Peter, Maya, Benji and a few more characters back along with some new ones. The rivalry between Beartown and Hed's hockey teams continues along with understanding many behind the scenes influencers.
The only two negative things I have to say about this book are:
1. The translation didn't make it an 'easy' read. It felt choppy and you had to get into the flow of it which took a while. It did capture the humor and once I got in to it, it was easier but never got to where it was a 'fast' read.
2. The foreboding got old and went on for so long that I wanted the event reveal to happen just to get it over with. Then, once the 'reveal' happened it was very anti-climactic.
Other than those two things, this was a very enjoyable read.
My Rating: 4.8
On an island off the coast of Ireland, guests gather to celebrate two people joining their lives together as one. The groom: handsome and charming, a rising television star. The bride: smart and ambitious, a magazine publisher. It’s a wedding for a magazine, or for a celebrity: the designer dress, the remote location, the luxe party favors, the boutique whiskey. The cell phone service may be spotty and the waves may be rough, but every detail has been expertly planned and will be expertly executed. But perfection is for plans, and people are all too human. As the champagne is popped and the festivities begin, resentments and petty jealousies begin to mingle with the reminiscences and well wishes. The groomsmen begin the drinking game from their school days. The bridesmaid not-so-accidentally ruins her dress. The bride’s oldest (male) friend gives an uncomfortably caring toast. And then someone turns up dead.
This definitely invoked feelings of Agatha Christie - LOVED it! I always enjoy multiple point of views and this one had each character coming to life. The 'reveals' kept me on my toes throughout the book. A great murder mystery.
My Rating: 2.5
Fern works in her local library. She has dinner with her twin sister Rose three nights a week. Fern avoids crowds, bright lights and loud noises as much as possible. Fern has a carefully structured life and disrupting her routine can be...dangerous. When Rose discovers that she cannot get pregnant, Fern sees her chance to pay her sister back for everything Rose has done for her. Fern can have a baby for Rose. She just needs to find a father.
This premise of this book sounded cute and in the beginning, it was enjoyable. As it progressed, it fell far from anything enjoyable. The author told you EVERY nuance of every thing. Nothing at all left to chance that you could possibly figure anything out for yourself. It was very annoying and made it so I was very glad when I finished this. UGH.
My Rating: 4.8
Fifteen-year-old Kambili and her older brother Jaja lead a privileged life in Enugu, Nigeria. They live in a beautiful house, with a caring family, and attend an exclusive missionary school. They're completely shielded from the troubles of the world. Yet, as Kambili reveals in her tender-voiced account, things are less perfect than they appear. Although her Papa is generous and well respected, he is fanatically religious and tyrannical at home—a home that is silent and suffocating. As the country begins to fall apart under a military coup, Kambili and Jaja are sent to their aunt, a university professor outside the city, where they discover a life beyond the confines of their father’s authority. Books cram the shelves, curry and nutmeg permeate the air, and their cousins’ laughter rings throughout the house.
The tension in the house is so palpable it comes off of the pages of the book.This is a very uncomfortable read but so well written. It makes you understand life in Nigeria, growing up with physical abuse and family. So many beautiful layers are captured.
My Rating: 4.7
One of the youngest ever survivors, Tova grew up in the ghetto, a Nazi labor camp and then in Auschwitz. This captures the atrocities she witnessed, her near death experiences and most of all, the story of survival.
The audio book is told in a very calm factual way. I think this is good as I couldn't imagine such horrific circumstances being told with a lot of emotion. This was a difficult read but I think so important for us to never forget.
