Thursday, February 26, 2015

Lakeshore Christmas

Lakeshore Christmas
by Susan Wiggs
Lakeshore Christmas (Lakeshore Chronicles, #6)

Genre: Romance

Synopsis:  The prim librarian is finally getting her chance to direct Avalon’s annual holiday pageant, and she’s determined to make it truly spectacular. But it might just require one of those Christmas miracles she’s always read about.

The problem is her codirector is recovering former child star Eddie Haven, a long-haired, tattooed lump of coal in Maureen’s pageant stocking. Eddie can’t stand Christmas, but a court order from a judge has landed him right in the middle of the merrymaking.

Maureen and Eddie spar over every detail of the pageant, from casting troubled kids to Eddie’s original—and distinctly untraditional—music. Is he trying to sabotage the performance to spite her? Or is she trying too hard to fit the show into her storybook-perfect notion of Christmas?

And how is it possible that they’re falling in love?
from the book jacket

Review:  I've been in the mood for quick and light reads lately, so I've picked up some of Susan Wiggs' Lakeshore Chronicles series.  I've enjoyed most of them, but this one fell flat.  The romance between Maureen and Eddie didn't feel real; I couldn't see these two characters connecting.  I was more interested in Daisy Bellamy's story, but that was disappointing as well, since it basically just stopped partway through the book. 

Rating: 2.5 stars

Dark Witch

Dark Witch
by Nora Roberts
Dark Witch (The Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy, #1)

Genre: Romance

Synopsis:  With indifferent parents, Iona Sheehan grew up craving devotion and acceptance. From her maternal grandmother, she learned where to find both: a land of lush forests, dazzling lakes, and centuries-old legends.

Ireland.

County Mayo, to be exact. Where her ancestors’ blood and magic have flowed through generations—and where her destiny awaits.

Iona arrives in Ireland with nothing but her Nan’s directions, an unfailingly optimistic attitude, and an innate talent with horses. Not far from the luxurious castle where she is spending a week, she finds her cousins, Branna and Connor O’Dwyer. And since family is family, they invite her into their home and their lives.

When Iona lands a job at the local stables, she meets the owner, Boyle McGrath. Cowboy, pirate, wild tribal horseman, he’s three of her biggest fantasy weaknesses all in one big, bold package.

Iona realizes that here she can make a home for herself—and live her life as she wants, even if that means falling head over heels for Boyle. But nothing is as it seems. An ancient evil has wound its way around Iona’s family tree and must be defeated. Family and friends will fight with each other and for each other to keep the promise of hope—and love—alive…
from the book jacket

Review:  When I am in the mood for a romance novel, I usually look for a Nora Roberts books.  This first book in her newest series did not live up to my expectations.  The characters were flat, the romance was lackluster, and the witch aspect too dark and reminiscent of her Three Sisters trilogy.  Instead of reading this to completion, I chose to pick up something that sounded better.

Rating: Abandoned

The Burning Room

The Burning Room
by Michael Connelly
The Burning Room (Harry Bosch, #19)

Genre: Mystery

Synopsis:  Detective Harry Bosch tackles a cold case unlike any he's ever worked, in the new thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Michael Connelly.

In the LAPD's Open-Unsolved Unit, not many murder victims die almost a decade after the crime. So when a man succumbs to complications from being shot by a stray bullet nine years earlier, Bosch catches a case in which the body is still fresh, but any other evidence is virtually nonexistent.

Now Bosch and his new partner, rookie Detective Lucia Soto, are tasked with solving what turns out to be a highly charged, politically sensitive case. Starting with the bullet that's been lodged for years in the victim's spine, they must pull new leads from years-old information, which soon reveals that this shooting may have been anything but random.

In this gripping new thriller, Michael Connelly shows once again why Harry Bosch is "one of the greats of crime fiction" (New York Daily News).
from the book jacket

Review:  I got this book as a blind date from the library, meaning that I checked it out without knowing what it was.  I would not have picked this book up on my own, given that it is number 19 in a series of mysteries involving the same character.  While it was a stand alone book, it was obviously part of a series; random characters were introduced for no real reason, and Bosch's back story was alluded to without being detailed.  It was an enjoyable mystery read, and I quite liked the characters of Detective Harry Bosch and his new partner Lucky Lucy. 

Rating: 3.5 stars

Sunday, February 22, 2015

The Night Gardener

The Night Gardener
by Jonathan Auxier

Genre: Juvenile fiction

Synopsis: The Night Gardener follows two abandoned Irish siblings who travel to work as servants at a creepy, crumbling English manor house.  But the house and its inhabitants are not quite what they seem.  Soon, the children are confronted by a mysterious stranger-and an ancient curse that threatens their very lives.
from the book jacket

Review: This would not have been a book that I would have picked up on my own but it was picked for a book club with sixth graders at my school and I decided to participate.  I'm glad that I read this book because it was very engaging, mysterious, and suspenseful.  The book was fairly dark but definitely enjoyable.  I thought the descriptions in the book were fantastic and really gave me good images of what the tree and the night gardener looked like which made the book even more creepy!  The students that I spoke to really enjoyed the book and had great discussions.  I did feel that some of the language (Molly and Kit were the Irish siblings and they spoke with an Irish accent-if that makes any sense) might be hard for some younger readers of this book.

Rating: 4 stars

The One & Only

The One & Only
by Emily Giffin

Genre: Chick Lit

Synopsis:  Thirty-three-year-old Shea Rigsby has spent her entire life in Walker, Texas-a small college town that lives and dies by football, a passion she unabashedly shares.  Raised alongside her best friend, Lucy, the daughter of Walker's legendary head coach, Clive Carr, Shea was too devoted to her hometown team to leave.  Instead she stayed in Walker for college, even taking a job in the university athletic department after graduation, where she has remained for more than a decade.

But when an unexpected tragedy strikes the tight-knit Walker community, Shea's comfortable world is upended, she begins to wonder if the life she's chosen is really enough for her.  As she finally gives up her safety net to set out on an unexpected path, Shea discovers unsettling truths about the people and things she has always trusted most-and is forced to confront her deepest desires, fears, and secrets.
from the book jacket

Review:  I had picked this book up multiple times at the library off the new fiction shelf and then put it back.  I finally decided to check it out since I was drawn to it.  I wish I had just put it back.  This book was just plain awkward.  In my opinion Shea's crush was just wrong and quite disturbing knowing the relationship that Shea and her crush had throughout her whole life.  I don't know why her crush would return her feelings wither considering he had just lost his wife.  He did virtually no grieving for his wife of 30 plus years.  I felt a little uncomfortable while reading this book and I'm not sure what made me keep reading.

My other problem with this book is football.  Shea lives, breathes and dies football, especially football in Texas.  I have zero interest in football and don't know much about the game and I felt like I really should have been somewhat interested in the sport to enjoy the book.  I'm not sure who the target audience for this book was.  Everyone in this book (well most everyone) takes football far too seriously and there was WAY too much football talk for me.

I would not spend your time reading this book as you will just walk away feeling grossed out by the story.  After the somewhat incestuous relationships started I read some spoilers and then skimmed the rest of the book just so I could finish it and count it as a finished book.

Rating: 2 stars

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Little Mercies

Little Mercies
by Heather Gudenkauf

Genre; Fiction

Synopsis: Veteran social worker Ellen Moore has seen the worst side of humanity-the vilest acts one person can commit against another.  She is a fiercely dedicated children's advocate and a devoted mother and wife.  But one blistering summer day, a simple moment of distraction will have repercussions that Ellen could never have imagined, threatening to shatter everything she holds dear and trapping her between the gears of the system she works for.

Meanwhile, ten-year-old Jenny Briard has been living with her well-meaning but irresponsible father since her mother left them, sleeping on friends' couches and moving in and out of cheap motels.  When Jenny suddenly finds herself on her own, she is forced to survive with nothing but a few dollars and her street smarts.  The last thing she wants is a social worker, but when Ellen's and Jenny's lives collide, little do they know just how much they can help one another.

A powerful and emotionally charged tale about motherhood and justice, Little Mercies is a searing portrait of the tenuous grasp we have on the things we love the most and of the ties that unexpectedly bring us together.

Review:  Heather Gudenkauf is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors to read.  I know that I will enjoy her books and that they will be quick reads that are hard to put down.  I literally read this book in just over a day and that included me going to work and sleeping at night!  I started reading this book and I just couldn't stop so I stayed up too late.  I knew what tragic event was going to happen to Ellen and I almost couldn't keep reading because I didn't know if my emotions could handle it.   But I kept going and I felt heartache for Ellen and her family.  There were times that I teared up while reading her story.  I felt a connection to Ellen as a mother and as an advocate for children.  I liked Jenny's storyline and how she fit into Ellen's story but I did think that there were some unrealistic aspects of Jenny's story.  I didn't feel the emotional connection with Jenny's story.  I read through her chapters so that I could get back to Ellen's story.  There were a couple secondary characters who lacked depth and their actions just seemed thrown into the story, Ellen's daughter Leah being one of them.  Overall I really loved reading this book and I would definitely recommend it!

Rating: 4.5 stars

Monday, February 16, 2015

Leaving Time

Leaving Time
by Jodi Picoult

Genre: Fiction

Synopsis:  For more than a decade, Jenna Metcalf has never stopped thinking about her mother, Alice, who mysteriously disappeared in the wake of a tragic accident.  Refusing to believe she was abandoned, Jenna searches for her mother regularly online and pores over the pages of Alice's old journals.  A scientist who studied grief among elephants, Alice wrote mostly of her research among the animals she loved, yet Jenna hopes the entries will provide a clue to her mother's whereabouts.

Desperate to find the truth, Jenna enlists two unlikely allies in her quest: Serenity Jones, a psychic who rose to fame finding missing persons, only to later doubt her gifts, and Virgil Stanhope, the jaded private detective who'd originally investigated Alice's case along with the strange, possibly linked death of one of her colleagues.  As the three work together to uncover what happened to Alice, they realize that in asking hard questions, they'll have to face even harder answers.

As Jenna's memories dovetail with the events in her mother's journals, the story races to a mesmerizing finish.  A deeply moving, gripping, and intelligent page-turner, Leaving Time is Jodi Picoult at the height of her powers.
from the book jacket

Review: I am a fan of Jodi Picoult's books.  I am always immediately drawn into the story and have a hard time putting the book down.  This book was different.   I had to force myself to keep reading knowing that I normally love Picoult's writing.  I put the book down for a while and came back to it and even then I wasn't as engaged as I normally am with her books.  Perhaps this book focused too much on the research of elephant grief which seemed to weigh the book down.  As I got closer to the ending, I did not like the direction I thought the book was moving in and it disappointed me where I thought the author was going.  Luckily I was wrong but the ending did surprise me.  I was confused by what was going on but everything did get explained by the end.  I believe this book was written well but just not the most interesting or believable subject for me.

Rating: 3 stars

A Man Called Ove

A Man Called Ove
Fredrik Backman

A Man Called Ove

Genre: Fiction

Summary (from Goodreads): In this bestselling and delightfully quirky debut novel from Sweden, a grumpy yet loveable man finds his solitary world turned on its head when a boisterous young family moves in next door.

Meet Ove. He's a curmudgeon -- the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him "the bitter neighbor from hell." But must Ove be bitter just because he doesn't walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time?

Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove's mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents' association to their very foundations.

A feel-good story in the spirit of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, Fredrik Backman's novel about the angry old man next door is a thoughtful and charming exploration of the profound impact one life has on countless others.

 
Review: This is not the kind of book I would have ordinarily picked up, but I got it as a "blind date" from the library last week, and I'm so glad I did!  The main character is a curmudgeonly 59 year old Swedish man who seems to dislike everybody and everything and has no compunction about expressing his dislike to the reader and everyone he meets.  This is not the type of character I generally like to read about, but some of his observations are hilariously spot on; I especially laughed at the smug middle-aged jogger dressed like a Romanian gymnast.  As the reader learns more about Ove, we discover that underneath his crusty exterior is a heart of gold, and I loved seeing his friendships grow despite his best efforts.  At times sad, but often funny, this feel good story was a delight to read.

Rating: 5 stars

Monday, February 9, 2015

The Dress Shop of Dreams

The Dress Shop of Dreams
Menna Van Praac

The Dress Shop of Dreams

Genre: Fiction, Magical Realism

Summary (from Goodreads): For fans of Alice Hoffman, Sarah Addison Allen, and Adriana Trigiani, The Dress Shop of Dreams is a captivating novel of enduring hopes, second chances, and the life-changing magic of true love.

Since her parents’ mysterious deaths many years ago, scientist Cora Sparks has spent her days in the safety of her university lab or at her grandmother Etta’s dress shop. Tucked away on a winding Cambridge street, Etta’s charming tiny store appears quite ordinary to passersby, but the colorfully vibrant racks of beaded silks, delicate laces, and jewel-toned velvets hold bewitching secrets: With just a few stitches from Etta’s needle, these gorgeous gowns have the power to free a woman’s deepest desires.

Etta’s dearest wish is to work her magic on her granddaughter. Cora’s studious, unromantic eye has overlooked Walt, the shy bookseller who has been in love with her forever. Determined not to allow Cora to miss her chance at happiness, Etta sews a tiny stitch into Walt’s collar, hoping to give him the courage to confess his feelings to Cora. But magic spells—like true love—can go awry. After Walt is spurred into action, Etta realizes she’s set in motion a series of astonishing events that will transform Cora’s life in extraordinary and unexpected ways.

 
Review: I enjoyed watching the various love stories intersect and converge, and I was satisfied that all the characters managed to find their own happy endings.  I would have liked more stories about how Etta's magic dress-making changes women's lives, and I would have found Cora's transformation more believable if it had taken place over a longer period of time.  This was a fun, light book with beautiful glittery descriptions of fabric and dresses.

Rating: 3 stars

Friday, February 6, 2015

The Girl on the Train

The Girl on the Train
Paula Hawkins

The Girl on the Train

Genre: Fiction

Summary (from Goodreads): A debut psychological thriller that will forever change the way you look at other people's lives.

Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. “Jess and Jason,” she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.

And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel offers what she knows to the police, and becomes inextricably entwined in what happens next, as well as in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?

A compulsively readable, emotionally immersive, Hitchcockian thriller that draws comparisons to Gone Girl, The Silent Wife, or Before I Go to Sleep, this is an electrifying debut embraced by readers across markets and categories.

 
Review:  The summary of this novel leaves out something major - Rachel is a raging alcoholic and a completely unreliable narrator.  If I had had a hint about that, or known that so much of the story deals with her struggle to give up alcohol and then her inevitably quick relapse as she faces challenges, I may have liked it better.  The premise of the story is interesting, it's a well-written and gripping mystery, and the lesson about judging people based only on quick glimpses of their lives is thought-provoking.  However, all the characters were horrible people and the fact that the multiple point-of-view narrations take place at different periods of time left me feeling confused about the timeline.

Rating: 3.5 stars