LIving the American Dream - October 27, 2016

Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue
4 stars



Following the lives of an immigrant family and their employers during the economic crisis of 2008, this book examines the price of the American Dream.  There are no good or bad guys, just complicated characters dealing with work, marriage and finding the best life for their children.  This book is not perfect, for example I think that some interesting issues were brought up and then abandoned.  Overall, though, this is an immensely readable book that provides fully realized characters.  I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

History of the Holocaust - October 21, 2016

Black Earth: The Holocaust As History And Warning by Timothy Snyder
3.5 stars



This book is a necessary examination of the years leading up to the atrocities of the Holocaust with a close study of the political and scientific ideology behind Hitler's leadership.  It is important for present day societies to realize that the Holocaust was not the overnight instigation of a madman's influence but instead a decades long shift after the politics, economics and struggles following the first World War.  I went into this book with high expectations for its content and was really only satisfied with the well thought out conclusion which lists all of the current events that could potentially lead to Holocaust conditions.  In all honesty, I thought and hoped the entire book would focus on these conclusions, however, in reality this is a fairly dry, repetitive and weirdly emotionless factual accounting of the events leading up to and including World War II.  While I think politicians and policy-makers would benefit from a close reading of this book, it rather reminded me of the driest of my graduate school policy tomes.  Overall, important information with impactful conclusions but could have been written better for a wider audience.  I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review. 

Rapid Romance Round-Up Part I - October 13, 2016

One Step Behind by Brianna Labuskes
4 stars



When Lucas and Gemma both try to break into the same room, they are immediately thrown together as they try to solve their respective cases.  Gemma is trying to solve her cousin's murder while Lucas is trying to stop a vicious blackmailer.  The chemistry between these two characters is present from the very first encounter and they are both extremely likable.  The mystery provides an interesting back story and is an actual full formed plotline.  My only criticism was that a second romance was thrown in that added a lot of extraneous pages without adding much to the overall story. The main characters are more than enough to carry the story on their own. This is a completely enjoyable historical romance.  I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 



The Legendary Lord by Valerie Bowman
Publication Date - November 1, 2016
4.5 stars




Christian has spent the last London seasons courting ineligible women and helping others fall in love.  He planned to retire to his hunting lodge in Scotland in order to find some peace and quiet but instead finds the belle of the season asleep in his bedroom.  Sarah, the beautiful and popular daughter of an Earl, is opposed to her arranged marriage and has run away to what she thought was her father's hunting cabin.  They make an odd agreement as they both weather a snow storm that brings them into contact again once they are in London.  These two characters are so perfect for each other that I really just wanted to rush them along to their happy ending.  They were both kind, funny and full of believable quirks.  I was kind of disappointed that it took them so long for the romance to fully blossom and there were some farcical moments that I could of done without, but overall I thought this a nearly perfect historical romance.  I have now read several in this series and the writing and the characters have gotten stronger with each one.  I look forward to reading about the next two couples that she has set up nicely.  I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 




Seducing the Marquess by Callie Hutton
Publication Date - October 17, 2016
2.5 stars



Devon and Eugenia married for convenience and suitability and thus far have had a very predictable marriage.  Until one day, Eugenia discovers an illicit book and decides to use the information to improve her marital situation.  I found the plot of this book really fascinating.  It looks at all those marriages that most historical romances deride which makes it stand out in the genre.  However, Devon just was a horrible hero who refused to see what was in front of him for way, way too long.  He was also pretty dismissive and really pretty awful to his wife pretty much to the end.  I liked the character of Eugenia enough that I couldn't help hoping that another male character would come to wisk her away from the entire situation altogether.  So while Callie Hutton is normally an auto-read author for me and I didn't enjoy this one nearly as much as her others.  I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

The Play's the Thing - October 11, 2016

You in Five Acts by Una LaMarche
Publication Date - November 1, 2016
4 stars




Told in five parts from five different perspectives at a New York City performing arts high school, this young adult novel explores topics such as art, race, love and drug use.  Joy, Diego, Olivia and Ethan have been friends for many years when a famous, former child actor, Dave, joins their group.  As they prepare for their senior showcase in their respective areas, acting and ballet, they deal with their fracturing friendships and unsure futures with a self-absorption which is both annoying and completely authentic.  There is a dark foreshadowing that runs through each narrative that while stressful also makes the heartbreaking events at the end a little less overwhelming.  This is the second book by the this author that I have read and I am completely impressed by the diversity of her characters and the timeliness of her topics.  I also feel as if this book may be a riff on a ballet or play but I haven't done the research yet to confirm this suspicion.  If so, it is done very well and retains the feel of epic drama.    I received this book from Penguin's First to Read Program in exchange for an honest review. 

Behind Closed Doors - October 6, 2016

Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris
3 stars



What really is going on with that supposedly perfect couple?  The one that dresses immaculately, entertains perfectly hosted meals and seems so much in love.  That is the backdrop of this psychological thriller.  Grace meets Jack at a time when she has about given up hope of finding a man who accepts her commitment to her sister Millie, who has down-syndrome.  Jack, a handsome lawyer who successfully defends victims of domestic abuse, seems perfect but behind that flawless façade lurks an entirely different kind of person.  This is definitely a chilling portrayal and I think if you are in the mood for a fast-paced, not always believable, thriller than this is a good option.   I definitely found this novel creepy but I also didn't quite buy some of plot points and found myself skimming towards the end because it started to drag.  Overall, I can see why this book is so popular especially among those that love twisted, psychological thrillers.  I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.