A Small Indiscretion by Jan Ellison - January 29, 2015

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A Small Indiscretion by Jan Ellison (received through NetGalley)
4 stars



Sometimes the past does not stay in the past; a fact Annie Black cruelly discovers when she opens an envelope enclosing a photograph from a time in her youth best left uncovered.  Told in a narrative style addressed to her college aged son, Annie often skips around in time describing the time in her early adulthood in which she lived in London, when her current trouble first began and present-day.  I found this format somewhat confusing until I was able to discern who and what belonged in which time period.  The small indiscretion of the title is slowly revealed and the repercussions of the incident are not clear until the very end.  I always enjoy novels in which patience is required to uncover the many intricacies of the plot and this one is done beautifully.  There were scenes that I found unbelievable and Annie's decisions at time were definitely cringe-worthy but those are only small quibbles in this otherwise compelling novel.  I received an E-Galley of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Fulfilling Life - Januay 28, 2015

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It Was Me All Along: a Memoir by Andie Mitchell (received through Blogging for Books)
4.5 stars















When Andie Mitchell was twenty years old, she stood on a scale in the dressing room of a YMCA and made a startling discovery.  Twenty years of addictive food behavior had left her dangerously obese and she resolved to overcome her addiction. I thought this memoir captured the way food becomes an addictive substance better than anything else I have read.  Andie's childhood was fraught with loneliness and isolation as her overweight father drank himself to an early death and her mother worked constantly to take care of the family.  She ate addictively to deal with the loneliness and it was a habit she continued into adulthood.  Overcoming this habit was difficult and she did an exceptional job of describing the ordeal and the pressures to stay thin once she had achieved her weight goal.  I did find that her attempts to make sure she offended no one made it seem a bit sunny but that it no way detracted from her perceptive insight into a very misunderstood problem.  I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review.


If the Viscount Falls by Sabrina Jeffries (received through NetGalley)
4 stars



Jane Vernon was forced to jilt her fiancé, Dominick Manton, under suspicious circumstances after he lost his entire inheritance.  Now they come together as he helps her find her missing cousin and they have to come to terms with their past behavior and their current feelings for each other.  This seems like a simple enough plot but these are two strong, intelligent and thoughtful characters who have flaws but also realize how to overcome these flaws in order to be together.  I especially liked Jane, who put Dom in his place anytime he tried to command her to do anything.  This was entertaining and although I haven't read the first three books in the series, there were plenty of appearances by former characters to please those who did.   I haven't had too much luck with Historical Romances lately, but this is a promising start for the new year.  I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Living History - January 23, 2015

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Pioneer Girl by Bich Minh Nguyen (received through NetGalley)
4.5 stars



Just recently I read the first two novels in the Little House on the Prairie series with my daughter so the characters were fresh in my mind as I went into this novel.  Lee's family left Vietnam during the war and moved to the American Midwest before she was born.  She grew up hearing about her grandfather's café in Saigon and the American woman named Rose who visited.  On her last visit to the café, Rose left a pin with a house and some trees that reminds a young Lee of the pin Almanzo gives Laura Ingalls.

Lee is in a slump that is very familiar to recent graduates and she is pulled back to her domineering mother.  During this disorientation about her future, she is drawn to the pin that enamored her as a girl and decides to use her powers of research to uncover the truth behind Laura Ingalls Wilder and her daughter Rose.  Is this the same Rose that visited the café in Saigon all those years ago?  That is the question she seeks to answer once and for all.

There is a lot going on in the plot of this book.  There is family drama, displacement, and the way history affects lives and individual purpose.  This read exactly like a memoir and I had to keep reminding myself that this is fiction.  The journey of discovery that Lee takes is engrossing and she has good insight into the parallels between the pioneer and the immigrant experience.  I really enjoyed this book and include it in my list highly recommended reading.  I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.    


The Porcelain Thief: Searching the Middle Kingdom for Buried China by Huang Hsu
4 stars



The intriguing history of the author's family creates the backdrop for this memoir.  In the middle of war, Huang Hsu's great-great grandfather was forced to bury all of the family's valuables in their backyard including a large amount of porcelain.  As the author explores the history of this story, he travels to Shanghai and works for his wealthy uncle and adjusts to life as an ABC (American-born Chinese).  I almost enjoyed his experiences adapting to life in China more than his family's history, which could be confusing at times.  Overall, this is an interesting and humorous look at life in China and the act of discovering roots.  I received this book from an LibraryThing early reviewers giveaway. 

Thrillers - January 18, 2015

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Kalahari by Jessica Khoury (received through the First to Read Program)
4 stars



Sarah lives in the bush of the Kalahari with her father, and while still reeling from the tragic death of her mother, she is forced to take responsibility for five other teenagers in order to receive funding for their research station.  This exciting premise starts out an extraordinary young adult action book that demonstrates the courage of these individuals and the capacity to grow even in unthinkable circumstances.  I will say that I was at first turned off by the irresponsibility of Sarah's father that sets off this stream of events and puts his daughter and his five charges in unspeakable danger.  I found that aspect of the story somewhat unbelievable and it took me several chapters to get over it.  Once I did, however, I was pulled into this story and I really like all of the main characters even when they were acting less than attractive.  What I especially enjoyed, though, was the fabulous setting of Botswana and the Kalahari.  Jessica Khoury does an exceptional job of describing the scenery and the wildlife.  Overall, I really enjoyed this book and it definitely tempts me to go back an read the others in this companion series.  I received this book from Penguin's First to Read Program in exchange for an honest review.

The Directive by Matthew Quirk (received through NetGalley)
4 stars



An atypical reading choice for me, I ended up really enjoying it.  Mike Ford is a Harvard educated Washington D.C. attorney about to enter into a more settled state of his life by marrying his much loved fiancé.  Before this occurs, however, he decides to reestablish his relationship with his criminal brother by asking him to be best man at the wedding.  He discovers that while his brother has attempted to stay straight, he just can't seem to stay away from big trouble and Mike is soon pulled into a major heist that involves the Federal Reserve.  Mike is an interesting main character.  He is obviously trying to pull away from his crooked family but it is obvious that he kind of enjoys the life too.  This is a quick, fast-paced read and I found much of it really interesting.  I received an egalley of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

The Entertainer - January 16, 2015

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Billy Joel: The Definitive Biography by Fred Sharers (received through Blogging for Books)
4 stars



When I left for college in the late nineties I took just several c.d.'s from my quite large collection.  Of those, one of Billy Joel's best-of collections served not only as a backdrop to my hours of studying but also as the starting point of a great friendship with the girls across the hall.  That said, I went into this book as a definite fan and I was not disappointed by this comprehensive and entertaining account of the musician's life.

Detailing Billy Joel's family background, the first chapter looks at his prominent grandfather's harrowing escape from Germany during the Holocaust.  I was so fascinated by this story that I wish more space had been dedicated to this part of his history.  It then delves into his early life, first bands and initial record deals.  I found this part sort of a slough to get through but I am sure that those more interested in the business side of music will find it interesting.  What I loved most about this book is the incredible amount of people and information that this author had access to.  I have heard that this was originally supposed to be Joel's autobiography which may contribute to the number of insiders who were willing to be interviewed. 

Overall, I loved this book.  I think it provides an authentically complete biography of a famous entertainer whose love of entertaining has persisted over the years.  This may be one of those books that appeals to fans more than just the general reader but I definitely recommend it.  I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review. 

Second Chances - January 11, 2015

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Not Quite a Wife by Mary Jo Putney (received through NetGalley)
3 stars



The sixth in her Lost Lords series (the others of which I have not read), the characters of this book, Laurel and Kirkland, attempt to save a marriage they abandoned a decade ago when Laurel witnesses Kirkland murder an intruder.  I mostly liked the characters of this book. Kirkland is kind and warm while Laurel devotes herself to the less fortunate.  They actually have a great repartee which comes through the pages of the book.  My main problem is with the plot which was frustratingly nonsensical.   I just didn't believe that Laurel would leave a passionate marriage just because her husband protects them both by killing an intruder (who is also an assassin as it turns out).  Even when they seem to be successfully mending their marriage, Laurel still frets over the supposed evilness of her husband.  I couldn't accept this scenario enough to fully invest myself in their relationship, however the engaging characters and the added historical and social aspect made it enjoyable enough to finish.  I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Family Life - January 8, 2014

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We Are Not Ourselves by Matthew Thomas (received through NetGalley)
5 stars



I have wanted to read this book for a while and finally sat down to it over the holiday break.  The story follows one woman, Eileen, and her family during the course of her entire life.  It deals with parents, marriage, career, illness, parenting and every important issue one manages within the course of a lifetime.  The characters and their actions are so real that I absolutely believed in them and the decisions that they made.  As a fan of escapism in literature, I did find this stressful at times because the writing was entirely authentic and it was hard to separate the experiences of these characters from possibilities in my own life.  I recommend this book whole heartedly.  I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.   

Lunar Life - January 7, 2014

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Dove Arising by Karen Bao (received through Penguin's First to Read program)
4 stars



This young adult dystopian/science fiction novel follows Phaet, a fifteen year old girl living on the moon.  Taking place during the 2300's, the moon has been colonized for several generations as life on Earth deteriorated.  Phaet's mother has been arrested for unknown reasons and Phaet decides to join the Militia in order to keep her siblings out of the dangerous "Shelter" and to pay for her mother's legal fees.  I absolutely loved the lunar setting and the science behind the world building.  The set-up of the bases and the governance of the moon are compelling and conceivable in regards to the story.  Overall it is a well written book but I think that the characters, especially Phaet, were inconsistent throughout.  She was all over the place emotionally and while it could be chalked up to her age, I don't think that some of her actions were quite credible.  That said, I really did enjoy this book and the ending set up extremely well for the sequel.  I received this book from Penguin's First to Read program in exchange for an honest review. 

Happy New Year! - January 1, 2015

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The Same Sky by Amanda Eyre Ward (received through Goodreads First Reads)
4.5 stars



Written in dual narratives, this beautiful book follows a forty-something woman as she deals with her infertility and adoption failures.  It also follow a twelve year old girl as she makes the horrendous journey from Honduras to Texas to be with her mother.  The stories are fascinating and heartfelt but what really drew me in was the jarring differences between the two narrators lives.  It was really hard to sympathize with Alice's problems following Carla and her little brother's harrowing lives and that is why I liked it so much.  It is a short book with simple, yet elegant, writing and I highly recommend it.  I received this book from a Goodreads First Reads Giveaway.


A Wedding in Provence by Ellen Sussman
2.5 stars



A fifty year old woman, Olivia,  marries for the second time in the beautiful south of France.  Her two flawed, and mostly obnoxious, daughters bring their own baggage and Olivia is forced to accept them for what they are before beginning the new chapter of her life.  For most of this book I found Nell and Carly, the daughters, to be so selfish and unlikable that I almost did not finish it.  However, as the story progresses, thankfully the women do redeem themselves and they do grow up during the course of the wedding weekend.  I was also hoping for a bit more details on the French countryside which I don't think was well captured.  Overall, I thought this was ok and really quick to read.  I received a E-Galley of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.