Rapid Romance Wrap-Up - April 29, 2016

Fooling Around by Noelle Adams
Publication Date - May 17, 2016
4 stars



Eric Vincent is a former professional football player and tech mogul majorly put out by a ski accident that left him with a severely broken leg.  Grumpy and helpless, he convinces selfless Julie to take care of him for the next three month for an unseemly amount of money.  This is a sweet love story with interesting and likable characters.  Eric was at times a jerk but I think his growth was pulled off adequately.  Overall, I really enjoyed this book all the way through.  Received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.


The Accidental Boyfriend  by Maggie Dallen
Publication Date - May 24, 2016
3 stars



This was a short fun romance about two people who are trying to come to terms with who they are as grownups.  Jack is a famous businessman and playboy who shared a memorable kiss with Holly at her sister's wedding.  While he does not want the complications that come with the relationship, he can't stop thinking of her.  He ends up with her in Paris and their attraction grows.  While fun to read, it does have a lot of the tropes of any contemporary romance novel that kept it from really standing out.  I also think it might have been a good idea to read the first book in the series beforehand to get more out of the characters.  Received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 


I Thee Wed by Celeste Bradley
Publication Date - May 3, 2016
3 stars



There are several things that I really liked about this historical romance between budding scientists.  First of all, the characters are both intelligent and driven.  I really appreciate that the hero, Orion, is a somewhat nerdy virgin instead of an infamous rake like in most other romance novels.  I also liked the idea of Francesca difficult adjustment to England after spending her life in Italy.  This book also has some incredibly steamy scenes, however, it was kind of slow going to get to them.  There was a lot of repetitive inner monologue and I got very tired of hearing about Orion's eyes and broad shoulders and Francesca's curves and sexy Italian accent.  There were also some silly scenes with rabbits and younger siblings that I am sure are meant to set up for further books but I ended up skimming over.  Overall, I liked this book and definitely would try to read others in this series about Orion's family.  Received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The People Behind the Food - April 28, 2016

Food and the City by Ina Yalof
Publication Date - May 31, 2016
4 stars



This ended up being different from what I expected.  Instead of essays about the establishments themselves, it is more about the different people and the roles they play within the restaurants, food carts, catering companies and bakeries.  Ranging from owners, chefs, line cooks and waiters, these stories explore the immigrants, entrepreneurs, families and foodies that make up New York City.  Each essay begins with a simple summary from the author and then a two to three page narrative in the words of the interviewee.  I really enjoyed this slice of restaurant life and it made me appreciate what went on behind the scenes of local eateries.  I received this book from Penguin's First to Read program in exchange for an honest review. 

A Weekend in Which I Continue to Read Dickens and Finish Another Book - April 25, 2016

Star Touch Queen by Roshani Chokshi
Publication Date - May 3, 2016
3 stars



This book follows a girl who is in a very difficult situation in her kingdom where she is supposed to pick a husband and ends up married to Amar who lives in a strange kingdom where she is his equal but also very clueless to what is actually going on in the kingdom of Akaran.  I found this to be a strange book.  I really liked the writing which was beautiful and the story had potential greatness but honestly I was frankly, bored.  Maya and Amar are interesting characters but I just felt too much was left vague in the first half which made it hard to pick up at times.  In conclusion, I can definitely see how this book (series) would really appeal to some people but I had a hard time getting through it.  I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Friday Reviews - April 22, 2016

Into the Dim by Janet B. Taylor
3-3.5 stars



Based on other reader reviews and the first couple of chapters, I wasn't sure that I would like or finish this book but I am really glad that I kept reading.  Sixteen year old Hope Walton has always been a strange, awkward girl who was taught advanced and unusual topics by her mother.  When her mother supposedly dies in an earthquake, a grieving Hope travels to Scotland to visit her aunt and is instantly embroiled in a society of time travelers.  Realizing that her mother is still alive and stuck in Medieval London, she travels back in time to rescue her.  Unfortunately Hope is often really annoying plus the action seemed oddly repetitive at times so it took a while to get into it, however, I found that there is a lot of potential for a great (and long, to be honest) series here.  The historical interactions and descriptions of twelfth century London, if not perfect, are interesting and I liked all of the side characters.  So while I definitely had issues with some of this book, I also enjoyed much of it and if done correctly I think this story has the potential of being a very good young adult time travel series.  I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 


The Untamed Earl (Playful Brides #5) by Valerie Bowman
Publication Date - May 3, 2016
4 stars



This series just keeps getting better and better.  Alexandra is the second daughter of a duke and always seems to fall short of her more beautiful and horribly awful older sister.  When a fifteen year old Alexandra witnesses the gallant act of the badboy scoundrel Lord Owen Monroe, she decides that she is in love.  Three years later, Owen is reprimanded by his father for his scandalous behavior and forced to court Alexandra's older sister.  The relationship between these two characters is super sweet, funny and full of chemistry.  I liked both of them so much and felt that they both evolved in realistic ways throughout the course of the story.  This book also set up the story for the next in the series very nicely so I look forward to that.  I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

The Wine Life - April 21, 2016

Champagne Baby: How One Parisian Learned to Love Wine-and life-the American Way
By Laure Dugas
Publication Date - May 3, 2016 (have seen different pub dates)
3.5 stars




Laure grew up in a family of wine producers and while appreciating the wine, she never had an interest in learning about the business until her uncle offered her a temporary position in the United States.  Armed with a limited amount of English and almost no wine knowledge, she sets off for New York City.  I have read a large number of "find yourself in the European countryside/Paris" books and have to say this is a appealing reversal.  Laure had to experience the wine business through an American perspective in order to really come to appreciate it.  This is full of interesting anecdotes of the wine business, foibles in learning a new culture and tips on different types of wines.  I will say that unless you know a lot about wine that the tips may be a little beyond beginner and I found myself skimming through some of those.  Otherwise this is a charming and refreshing memoir about a French woman's appreciation of the United States.  I received this from NetGalley in exchange for and honest review. 

Bored Housewives - April 20, 2016

A Fine Imitation by Amber Brock
Publication Date - May 3, 2016
4 stars



Vera's life has all the trappings of the most privileged class, money, society, a fancy address and supreme dissatisfaction.  Her husband is almost always conspicuously absent and her mother rules her life with an absurd dedication.  When the high class building in which she lives hires an artist to complete a mural, Vera is thrust into a scandalous attraction that may change everything.  Alternating between her years as a student at Vassar and her married years a decade later, this book covers the standards and limitations of high class woman at the time.  This felt like a literary soap opera that never loses its momentum or its bite throughout.  I thoroughly enjoyed it and felt like I was dropped right into the claustrophobic world of these people.  I received a copy of this book through a LibraryThing giveaway in exchange for an honest review.


American Housewife: Stories by Helen Ellis
4.5 stars



This collection of stories is so darkly funny that I read a lot of them twice to make sure I was reading them correctly.  These follow bored housewives, hyper-motivated second wives, reality show contestants, frustrated writers and some very twisted women that I couldn't help but relate to.  Short story collections are hit and miss for me but I loved every one of these and will probably be reading them again in the near future.  I received this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Weekend Reading - April 18, 2016

Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave
Publication Date - May 3, 2016
4 stars



Convinced she must do something to contribute to the war effort, Mary volunteers for what she hopes is a glamorous position but is instead assigned to a teaching position for which she is wholly unprepared.   As a result she is introduced to her boss, Tom, and his enigmatic roommate, an officer, which unleashes a chain of events that encompass many aspects of World War II, London society and finding the ability move forward after so much tragedy. It is partly a love story but really is a story about the horror of war and how living with our actions in difficult circumstances is not easy.  The snappy dialogue definitely lightened the sometimes depressing scenes in the book but the descriptions of the London Blitz and the siege on Malta are still very dark and incredibly gritty.  While I thought most of the book was very well written, I did find the parts dealing with race and racism in London society were kind of awkward.  There is so much to write about this war still and I think it is so important to keep reading books that show how completely known life can disintegrate.  I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Friday Review - April 15, 2016

The Map of Bones by Francesca Haig
Publication Date - May 3, 2016
3 stars



This is the second book in the Fire Sermon series, set in a post-apocalyptical world where with each birth a set of twins is born, an Omega born with a crippling birth defect and an Alpha born perfectly formed.  The twins are linked together and when one dies, so does the other.  I think these books are really well written and this installment really upped the descriptions and history of this decimated place.  My main problem with this series is the "twinning" storyline which doesn't seem believable, especially when the Alphas treat Omegas so terribly when their own existence depends upon them.   I found myself reading this, wishing the author had instead written a straightforward novel about the apocalypse without twins and telepathy because the descriptions are just that amazing.  Overall, this has some fabulous elements but I personally have a hard time getting past the more implausible parts of the storyline.  I'm not sure I will continue with this series but I will definitely keep an eye out for this author's future books.  I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Mid-Week Reviews - April 13, 2016

These Heroic, Happy Dead: Stories by Luke Mogelson
Publication Date - April 26, 2016
4 stars

This collection of stories follows soldiers during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and once their deployments are over.  This is not easy material to read, but it shouldn't be, considering the topic.  What I liked most about these is that several characters that we meet as they struggle after they return to civilian life, are introduced again later during harrowing incidents at war.  At times, the descriptions and the dialogue between soldiers is hard to follow but once I adapted to the language, it flowed easily and I found the depictions moving.  I received this from a LibraryThing giveaway in exchange for an honest review.





The Art of Not Breathing by Sarah Alexander
Publication Date - April 26, 2016
3.5 stars



Five years ago, sixteen year old Elsie lost her twin brother when he drowned off the coast of the Scottish Highlands.  Since then, her family has fallen apart in devastating ways.  Elsie, herself, is barely hanging on as she fails academically, is bullied at school and forgotten at home.  One day, she meets a group of boys and discovers the sport of free-diving which lets her forget her own life and brings her closer to that of her deceased twin.  I found this book to be a bit grittier than I first thought which I liked.  The setting is beautiful and fascinating and the relationships between the characters is complex and mostly realistic.  I do think that too much was jammed into this book.  For example, the character was repeatedly bullied in a fairly violent manner that made me assume that there was an additional story there but it wasn't explained further.  I also felt the ending was a bit rushed BUT I do have to say that this was different enough from most young adult novels to make it really stand out and this is an author I will keep an eye on in the future.  On a separate note,because of my random reading habits, I had actually just finished a nonfiction account of free diving so this is actually a nice follow up and I think the free diving scenes were done quiet well.  I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Weekend Wrap-up - April 11, 2016

Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel
Publication Date - April 26, 2016
3 stars



One evening, an eleven year old girl is riding her bike when she falls into a deep whole and ends up being held by an enormous hand made out of materials very hard to find on Earth.  The strange object is the center of this book comprised solely of journal entries and interviews conducted by a mysterious person seemingly in control of the situation.  This book started out so strongly and I read the first half very quickly.  Somewhere in the middle, though, I began to feel disconnected to the characters and the events they were describing.  The interview format which I liked in the beginning began to feel stale as the characters recounted events that already happened.  Overall,  I liked the premise of this book and found it to be a quick read.  I received this through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Diving to Extremes - April 8, 2016

One Breath: Freediving, Death, and the Quest to Shatter Human Limits
by Adam Skolnick
3.5 stars



In 2013, the world of competitive freediving was shocked to its core when one of its upcoming stars tragically died at the end of a dive.  This book details Nick Melovi's life and the repercussions his death would have on the sport.  Written in alternating chapters, it covers Nick's life from childhood and also the competitions that took place after his death.  This is an interesting sport because the participants swear it is completely safe but yet frequently blackout and spit blood after dives which seems a bit insane to me.  These divers learn how to control their breath with exercise, yoga, and other tricks in order to dive up to 100 meters on one breath.  Normal scuba divers cannot even make those depths because of the air turning toxic.  I enjoyed reading about this sport and learned a lot about deep water diving.  I did find the author strangely absent from this book and didn't find out until the acknowledgements that he was actually present as a journalist at Nick's last dive.  I think it would have actually been more interesting to have that outside perspective in this book.  Overall though, I feel as though I gained some knowledge on an interesting and risky sport.  I received a copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review. 

Pride, Prejudice and Reality TV - April 6, 2016

Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld
Publication Date - April 19, 2016
4 stars



Liz Bennet is a thirty eight year old journalist in an unhealthy relationship with a charismatic yet shady man.  Her older sister Jane is approaching forty and desperate to have a child, with or without a husband and her younger sisters are all at home in their massive, crumbling Tudor home in Cincinnati with their parents.  Mrs. Bennet is a compulsive shopper with old-fashioned ideas about who the right people are while Mr. Bennet is drowning in debt but prefers to avoid the detestable topic altogether.  Liz and Jane return home to Cincinnati after their father has a heart attack and while there meet two doctors; Chip Bingley who halfheartedly practices medicine after a stint on a reality dating show and Fitzwilliam Darcy who as a renowned Neurosurgeon, appears snobby and standoffish.  This is a familiar story, a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice, but I had so much fun reading it.  I loved how all of the sisters are fleshed out in this version and there is a tremendous focus on their relationships.  The romance is there, of course, but it sometimes takes a backstage to Liz and her sisters coming into their adulthood and discovering what they want and who they want to be.  I enjoyed the writing and really devoured this book.  Apparently, this is part of a series of Jane Austen updates so I will definitely search out the others.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Under Water - April 5, 2016

Miller's Valley by Anna Quindlen
4 stars



I wanted to read this book for a couple of reason's.  First of all, I went to see Anna Quindlen speak once and have been a big fan ever since.  Her book How Reading Changed My Life is one of my favorites that I read annually.  I am also very interested in the subject of drowned towns as that happened in my own region of the country.  While the whole town was not drowned, there are houses, barns and who knows what else under our local reservoir.  This book follows Mimi Miller and her family from the sixties on as they deal with a changing society and environment.  Their farm has existed in Miller's Valley for generations and is a part of who they are.  As the state threatens to flood the area and the community deals with war and the changing fabric of society, Mimi must strive and make decisions for her future.  This is a quiet novel but I never once lost interest in the story.  It is foremost a story about family and home and how even though you can leave a place (or put it under 40 feet of water), that place never leaves you.  I found this book very beautifully written with an important story of our past.  I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.